


Night of Sixth Magnitude Stars

by Leffy



Series: Forget Everything, but the Flowers and My Love for You [1]
Category: The Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation, 魔道祖师 - 墨香铜臭 | Módào Zǔshī - Mòxiāng Tóngxiù
Genre: Also a sprinkle of angst, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Reincarnation, Alternate Universe - Student/Teacher, Fluff and Humor, Lan XiChen is a supportive onii-chan, M/M, Potential Spoilers, fic brought to you by Goblin and Aimer, for the first chapter only tho, probably needs proofreading
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-22
Updated: 2018-10-20
Packaged: 2019-07-15 15:12:53
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 22,549
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16065764
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Leffy/pseuds/Leffy
Summary: Lan WangJi gave him a disapproving look as they left the classroom. “You can’t be late every time.”Wei WuXian walked with light steps, seemingly in a happy mood. “They can’t fault me if I want to spend more time with the only student who really listens to me.”Lan WangJi followed reluctantly, because Wei WuXian always made him follow, even when he was driving him crazy.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * Translation into Español available: [Night of Sixth Magnitude Stars](https://archiveofourown.org/works/16572809) by [Lilaluux](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lilaluux/pseuds/Lilaluux)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The title is based on a song of Aimer. Since I haven't finished the novel yet, I really don't know the specifics of what happened in the end, but I do know the gist of it, so potential spoilers ahead!
> 
> Also, I will be using their courtesy names in the narration, but they will be calling each other using their birth names.
> 
> Enjoy!

* * *

_Sixth magnitude stars were assigned to stars that were barely visible to the unaided eye under favorable conditions._

* * *

Obnoxious. Frivolous. Incorrigible.

That was how Lan WangJi would describe his Chinese History professor who was currently flirting with the girls beside him.

He chose a seat in front of the class, dutifully noting all students in the room for attendance. As a history major specializing in Ancient China, Lan WangJi was on his fourth year, currently completing a few requirements before graduation. As someone from the Lan family, however, he was expected to do better than best. 

At the age of seventeen, graduating with the highest Latin honor and a handful of awards would not be enough. 

Thus, at the recommendation of his older brother, he became the undergraduate teaching assistant of a certain Wei Ying. The young professor is known for his unorthodox method of teaching. Lan WangJi never got him as an instructor, choosing his uncle's class for Chinese History (there was no issue about being biased, everyone knows that Lan QiRen is stricter to his nephews), but he had heard enough stories about the professor to piece out together what they meant by unorthodox.

Wei WuXian was also known as the "Demonic Professor" in their campus. Students believed that his looks and charisma were just silver linings because taking him as a professor is pure _hell_. The exams were usually in a form of essay, and there was always a graded recitation every week. Wei WuXian firmly did not believe in memorizing, that was why students did not know how to prepare for his tests.

 _“I know a temple with four thousand rules during Tang Dynasty, do you want to have a 40-item quiz on that?”_ Lan WangJi heard him one time when a student complained about the numerous essays they had to do. The student shook her head, numbly thanked Wei Wuxian for being considerate, and ran away crying. 

And yet, people would still choose to take his class. 

_"I heard he needs a hand with source materials, so you will be a great help,"_ Lan XiChen had given him a smile that might have implied otherwise. _"And I'm sure you'll get along really well. You have the same hobbies."_

Those hobbies were yet to be disclosed. If Lan WangJi did not know his brother any better, he would think Lan XiChen was just messing with him.

Wei WuXian continued to chatter away with the students, not minding the time. There was something irritating with how he laughs along to their jokes and how the students were casually touching him all the time. Lan WangJi was the only student who already passed the class, and yet he seemed to be the only one eager to learn.

_Pathetic._

As he continued to watch his professor, he might have miscalculated the honest character of his immaculate older brother.

He was definitely messing with him. 

(In the next foreseeable future, Lan WangJi would be able to correctly categorized what he felt during those times. It was definitely a more troublesome feeling than just simple irritation.)

With the internal turmoil that was stirring within him, Lan WangJi was unable to look away on time. Wei WuXian caught him staring, and sauntered over to his direction. 

"So Lan Zhan, how are you today?" He took a seat on Lan WangJi’s desk, effectively stopping him from brooding over the attendance sheet. The professor seemed to have forgotten that he had a class to teach, and leisurely continued to spend his time tormenting his young TA.

"I'm good, sir.”

WuXian made a face. "Ew. I told you not to call me that. Call me Wei Ying!" 

Lan WangJi raised a brow, as if saying, _Are you serious?_

"But you wouldn't let us call you that, professor! That's unfair," One of the female students piped up, vying to get the attention of the two most gorgeous men in the room.

Wei WuXian threw her an offended look. "Of course, since that's just rude! Lan Zhan can call me that since he's technically not my student. And because I said so."

"Now that's just favoritism!"

"Was I being too obvious?" WuXian gave Lan WangJi a conspiratorial wink, before hopping off his desk and waving a hand at the students. "Since you know already, then stop nagging and start studying."

If Lan WangJi felt something suddenly tugged his insides, he did not dare acknowledge it.

* * *

The class never started on time, yet it always ended as the first bell rang, sometimes even earlier than that. Wei WuXian would always ask Lan WangJi to stay behind with him to sort out the papers and to discuss his lesson plan for the next class. When they were finished, the professor would engage him in small talk, never failing to force Lan WangJi into staying a little longer. 

"How is your dissertation going?" Wei WuXian asked. 

His paper was about the fictional side of the Chinese culture; the _Xianxia_ genre to be precise. Authors had seamlessly incorporated sorcery with Taoism and the mundane, making it hard to distinguish reality from fantasy. Lan WangJi's goal was not to draw a clear line between them, but to be able to understand the author's head space while writing the literature. He wanted to make sense of their inspirations for the stories’ lore, and the details that painstakingly brought it to life. He always found that fascinating, and the next thing he knew, he was focusing his studies towards that objective. 

"I have a few questions regarding the book you lent me."

Wei WuXian's eyes lit up, as it always did whenever he asked for his guidance. He started off with a theory that he must have had been saving until Lan WangJi would ask him, since the words continued to flow from his mouth with no allowance for interruption. He passionately talked about the subject matter, giving his insights on the book and probing Lan WangJi for his own interpretation once in a while. 

Lan WangJi had been accelerated a few years ahead of his peers, and the people around him thought that he would be at a disadvantage. His mature looks for his age and the shadow of a scowl that always seemed to linger on his face helped dispel that notion eventually. In spite of that, people were still skeptical about him. 

Wei WuXian was one of the few people who took him seriously right from the start. He had been second-guessing himself on the subject of his paper, and was finally compelled to spill the truth to the professor. When Lan WangJi told him that he wanted to research about Xianxia, he expected that Wei WuXian would tease him relentlessly. Instead, he found himself being enthusiastically handed over a bunch of books, with a consultation appointment schedule that spanned over a week. Wei WuXian would sometimes give him glances that were hard to discern, but a pleasant feeling always settled in his stomach after, and it was not that bad at all. 

They were both too engrossed in their discussion, realizing a little late that new students have started to fill the lecture hall, and an instructor near the doorway was awkwardly waiting for them to vacate the teacher’s desk.

“Oops. My next class is in the other building,” Wei WuXian said with a hint of nonchalance in his tone. For someone who probably had students currently waiting for him, he sure did take his time packing up.

Lan WangJi gave him a disapproving look as they left the classroom. “You can’t be late every time.” 

WuXian walked with light steps, seemingly in a happy mood. “They can’t fault me if I want to spend more time with the only student who really listens to me.” 

Lan WangJi followed reluctantly, because Wei WuXian always made him follow, even when he was driving him crazy. 

In the end, Lan WangJi wound up attending his next class anyway.  


* * *

Lan WangJi had always kept everyone at arms' length, but Wei WuXian kept squirming his way in. _Literally_ , most of the time.

No interactions passed between them without Wei WuXian having initiated a physical contact. A mere pat on the arm, a bump on the shoulder, a thigh softly pressed against his.

Lan WangJi had assumed that he did that to everyone, but that made him feel _nauseous_ , so he tried to chase that thought away. 

The first time Wei WuXian tried to touch him, he recoiled so bad the professor took a step back involuntarily. He felt a sudden wave of guilt crashed upon him, and looking at Wei WuXian's crestfallen face made it even worse. 

The professor immediately regained his composure to produce a playful pout, no trace of the raw feeling of hurt on his features. "You really never change," He mumbled to himself, and Lan WangJi didn’t understand. Before he could ask, Wei WuXian had already jumped to another topic.

Lan WangJi felt remorse about the whole situation, thinking that he would never try to touch him all together. He berated himself at the thought, since wasn’t that what he wanted? He didn’t want to be touched, and yet Wei WuXian continued to pester him. He deserved a semblance of peace once in a while. 

If he could never control his heart dangerously banging against the drum of his ribs as soon as Wei WuXian gave him any semblance of attention, he might not even survive the following year.

 _It’s normal to feel bad. I must have hurt him._

His mind kept swirling around with those thoughts as he tossed and turned on his bed, preparing for the sincerest apology he could muster tomorrow. 

The next day, Wei WuXian slung his arm around him like nothing happened, and he was painfully aware of the pressure of something warm and _right_ on his shoulder. The sudden rush of relief he felt had nearly knocked his breath out of him.

He definitely had it bad. 

* * *

Wei WuXian was always easy to find. 

Without him meaning to, Lan WangJi would often see him in the center of a commotion. There was even a time where a brawl between two students had started, and instead of stopping the fight, the professor deemed himself as the referee, cackling as he egged the students on. 

If people would want to stir away from danger, they would have to take precautionary measures to avoid Wei WuXian. The science laboratory was now a permanent “No Wei” zone because of an accident where the professor, in a random act of madness and brilliance, charmed his way into the hearts of science undergraduates and asked them to mix every chemical they could think of. It took weeks to clean the mess, and another month until the laboratory could be of use again. 

However, without fail, Wei WuXian would always excuse himself whenever he caught sight of Lan WangJi. Be it at the middle of a conversation or another idiotic contest, Wei WuXian would hurriedly say his farewell to catch up to him. And Lan WangJi had to struggle not to look smug as people watched their precious professor jog towards him to match his strides. 

As this continued, the campus started enlisting Lan WangJi’s help whenever they needed Wei WuXian out of their hair. 

(Later on, people started calling Lan WangJi the “Demon Tamer” behind his back.)

* * *

He officially courted Wei WuXian at the age of twenty.

If courting meant watching him devour spicy food while reading ancient text in the university cafeteria everyday.

For the past three years, the two of them were inseparable. Most people had assumed that Lan WangJi would be just a distant beautiful memory in the campus after his graduation, but everyone was surprised to see him lounging in the faculty a week later after his ceremony. 

When asked, Lan WangJi would say that he came because of an errand for his uncle or his brother. Everyone knew it was an excuse, as they watched him walk towards a certain Chinese History professor who was definitely not his uncle nor his brother. In the end, he got himself a more acceptable reason when he applied for a doctorate program. 

At least Lan WangJi got the literal meaning of pursuing one’s interest _flawlessly_. He would arrive five minutes before Wei WuXian’s class ended, and wait for him by the corridor. If he arrived before the lecture starts, he would sit behind the class to observe (When he tried to sneak in during the halfway of Wei WuXian’s lecture one time, the professor loudly announced his arrival by waving at him, disrupting the whole class.) The Chinese History course for that semester still held the record of the highest enlisters for a class. 

They got chased away a few months later from the faculty room since they were being far too noisy. It was a weak argument, since Lan WangJi was the epitome of a monk in meditation, while the staff was already used to Wei WuXian’s rowdy personality. The real reason was some professors just could not bear the tension between them anymore. One reported that she was having stomach cramps just from the stress of seeing them _not_ doing anything to each other. 

The news reached Lan XiChen, who was begged to do something about it.

“You don’t understand, Lan Huan! Wei Ying would just drape himself on your brother. _Drape_! Like a big lap blanket!” The teacher waved her hands frantically, as if comparing an adult man to a blanket was a heresy. 

Lan XiChen did not doubt for a minute that she was not exaggerating. He had seen how Wei WuXian and Lan WangJi acted towards each other. But as far as he was concerned, they both looked happy. He had never seen his brother like that, and he was just glad that Wei WuXian’s presence could just bring out the best in Lan WangJi. 

That is, when Wei WuXian wasn't actively trying to test out his brother's patience.

“But it's not our business, is it?” Lan XiChen gave her a questioning smile. He still could not see the need to interfere just yet. And Lan XiChen had seen _a lot_ of what she was talking about. 

“But it is! Wei Ying dozed off and used your brother as a pillow. It was totally cute, but it actually looks painful. I don't know how Lan Zhan can keep pretending that he is not bothered at the slightest.” 

He was definitely not bothered, Lan XiChen thought. Keyed up? Probably. It was unhealthy to have… pent-up frustrations, especially in his brother's age.

“I don't think it's really pretend...”

“I know!” She cut him off. “We all know,” She cried in frustration. 

Lan XiChen didn't have a choice but to talk to the main culprits of the issue. Thinking that he might have a higher chance of success, he first went to his younger brother. 

* * *

During one of the rare occasions when both Lan siblings were in their home at the same time, Lan XiChen started his interrogation. 

“How is Wei Ying these days?”

The two of them was working amicably in silence, as the continuous tap tap of Lan WangJi’s computer filled their living room. “Doing something preposterous as usual.”

The harshness of the words were in contrast with how soft his brother's tone was, and how his entire body relaxed with just the mention of his name. And Lan XiChen agreed with the concerned staff, because it could really only be painful, to be pining on someone so hard as Lan WangJi to Wei WuXian. 

Lan XiChen figured that he should just get straight to the point. “Why don't you ask him out?” 

There was a beat of silence, before Lan WangJi answered him. 

“I already am.” XiChen noticed how his brother's words were constructed, and realized that it was an ongoing process. 

Lan WangJi was courting Wei WuXian.

The stone-cold, hard-hearted Lan WangJi was now a suitor, and Lan XiChen could not wrap his head around it nor could he erase the image of his brother serenading Wei WuXian under the moonlight. 

“Does he know…?” He let his question trail, not voicing _that you're asking him out_ part. 

Lan WangJi stopped his typing to look at his brother, somewhat judging. 

Lan XiChen was vaguely familiar with that look, but this was the first time it was directed at him. Now he finally understood why people call Lan WangJi stone-cold. 

He could not interfere, after all.  


* * *

"Lan Zhan, Lan Zhan, are you secretly in love with me?" Wei WuXian suddenly asked over dinner. They were still in the campus’ cafeteria, but the usual crowd had already diminished significantly, and only a few students were huddled on the opposite part of the hall.

Lan WangJi looked at him, before going back to reading. “I don’t think it’s even a secret, ” He finally said.

He waited for Wei WuXian’s gloating to fill the whole cafeteria, only to find his face hued deep red while staring at him, tongue-tied.

“...You really didn’t know the answer?” Lan WangJi remembered his conversation with his brother a month ago. Were his intentions not clear enough? 

“Hahahaha of course I do. Who wouldn't like someone as handsome as me?” The usual thick-faced Wei WuXian finally appeared, but his cheeks remained flushed, and he wouldn't look at him in the eye. 

Lan WangJi grabbed him across the table and brushed the lightest of kisses against his lips. He barely felt it but it was warm, soft, and _real_. 

Before he could bask at that knowledge, Wei WuXian surged forward and he was kissing him back. It was not deep, but more tangible than their first, with the hint of a promise that there was definitely more to come. Lan WangJi felt Wei WuXian's lips curled upward against his. 

When he let him go, Wei WuXian smiled so bright it crinkled the side of his eyes. “I adore you a lot, too.”

And suddenly Lan WangJi has been filled with warmth that he could not quite pinpoint, that expanding, encompassing feeling in his chest, like a bubble of joy just slowly growing bigger and bigger.

* * *

Lan XiChen overheard another complaint from a faculty member a month later. 

“I regret wishing them to get together. It’s even worse.”

“What did you expect? They were flirting like rabbits in heat, and they were just _good friends_ ,” Another instructor said, emphasizing the last part. 

“Huh? Don’t rabbits just get it on?”

“Exactly.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! I was planning for this to be a one-shot, but I kept on getting ideas in my head lol.  
> Don't hesitate to hmu on [twitter](https://twitter.com/Lefanna_) and gush over these precious bois with me.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Waah thank you for the kudos and comments! I planned to update as fast as I could but work kept on getting in the way. I hope you enjoy this chapter just as the last one!

They first made love the night they finally got together. 

Lan WangJi had dragged the both of them out of the cafeteria, leaving the few on-lookers who had witnessed their first kiss at loss for words. 

“I guess we’ll be headlining the campus’ newspaper tomorrow,” Wei WuXian said with a grin, intertwining their hands together as he let Lan WangJi take the lead. 

When they had somewhat arrived at a hotel, with the receptionist readily handing them a keycard before chirping a “Have a pleasant stay!”, Wei WuXian laughed because Lan WangJi was so prepared. And he really was, he had been planning this for three years. 

“I wouldn’t dare touch a teenager,” Wei WuXian said with confidence, and Lan WangJi nearly snorted because that would be definitely a lie. But Wei WuXian started taking off his clothes, and Lan WangJi’s mind threw away all his retorts in the dump. 

Their first time was messy and rushed, but never awkward. It was honestly a blur, but the sensations Lan WangJi felt, the image of Wei WuXian splayed on his bed, they were all seared permanently in the back of his brain like a brand. 

“I didn’t know you’re an expert on this, Lan Zhan, ” WuXian gasped. His voice was low, breathy, and entirely consumed by need. Lan WangJi seemed to know which buttons to push to make Wei WuXian moan obscenely, and he revelled at the fact that he was the one who made him look like this, flushed and writhing against his sheets. Lan WangJi wanted to kiss him, but he did not want to drown out Wei WuXian’s voice either, so he compromised by marking Wei WuXian’s body, exploring every part he could with his lips. 

_Only for you._

Wei WuXian was very vocal during sex, saying whatever he felt, whatever he wanted Lan WangJi to do to him. And Lan WangJi wondered how he had survived without this for three years. 

Now that Lan WangJi got a taste of Wei WuXian, he was scared how could this affect him everyday, with Wei WuXian in close proximity most of the time. He wondered if they could ever get away if they tried doing it in school. The thrill of losing his control frighteningly excited him, and just the idea of letting his libido take the reins was something he thought he would never be capable of. 

“I missed this,” Wei WuXian breathed, too out of it, not realizing the implications of his words. A wave of possessiveness settled inside Lan WangJi, releasing it with the force of his thrusts, and in the way his fingers dug deep on his lover's hips, enough for it to bruise the next day. 

Wei WuXian cried, but Lan WangJi knew it was out of pleasure as he continued to urge him further. Lan WangJi seemed to always know, just as he knew how Wei WuXian liked it rough. 

“Lan Zhan. More,” Wei WuXian begged, and dug his nails on Lan WangJi’s shoulders, raking them down his back. 

“Keep calling my name,” Lan WangJi kissed his collarbone, before biting his shoulder. 

“Lan Zhan, please! Deeper. Ah-” Wei WuXian uttered his name like a prayer, as if Lan WangJi was the only one qualified to fulfill his wish, to bring him to completion, as it always should have been. 

“Wei Ying,” Lan WangJi breathed his name, and Wei WuXian came undone, with him following not long after. 

When Wei WuXian recovered he was smiling, dazed and pleasure-drunk, smiling like nothing could ever make him stop smiling, and eventually his eyes focused on Lan WangJi.

"Good?" Lan WangJi asked, not quite able to keep the smirk off his face.

“Better than best,” Wei WuXian replied, and Lan WangJi knew he should not be bothered, he should not even focus at Wei WuXian’s implied experience with _someone not him_ , but he was. Wei WuXian must have sensed this, and maneuvered their position with ease until he was stradling Lan WangJi. 

“Of course I’ve already done this before. I’m an old man.”

Lan WangJi glared at Wei WuXian, the confirmation predictably stinging him, but he knew Wei WuXian had said it to stop him from thinking about it too much. 

“You're not that old,” Lan WangJi retorted instead. 

“I’m older than you think,” Wei WuXian absent-mindedly traced a finger on his chest, making him shiver. “And you have me now, that's what only matters. 

“So, are you… _up_ for round two?” Wei WuXian wiggled his eyebrows suggestively, and before Lan WangJi could react, he rolled his hips against his slowly, making his mind blank once again. Lan WangJi tried to reach for him, but was pushed back to the bed. 

“Let me return the favor,” Wei WuXian leaned in for a kiss, wrapping his arms around his Lan WangJi's neck. 

Wei WuXian coaxed Lan WangJi’s mouth open without any rush and just took whatever he was willing to give him, and Lan WangJi was willing to give him everything.

°°°

The next morning, Wei WuXian could not move out of bed. 

Lan WangJi was wiping Wei WuXian’s legs but he kept on squirming and complaining. He was covered with all sorts of bites and bruises to places that should have been avoided if one wanted to go outside appearing decent. 

(Wei WuXian, thick-faced as he was, wore the bitemarks proudly for the following week.)

“Lan Zhan, you’re too rough! Maybe we should only do this once a month,” Wei WuXian groaned as he successfully rolled on his back.

Lan WangJi whipped his head so hard Wei WuXian thought it was gonna snap. 

“Once a month…?” Lan WangJi’s voice sounded so strained, and Wei WuXian thought he would die from laughing too much.

* * *

A few months before Lan WangJi submitted his final paper for his graduate studies, he asked Wei WuXian to help him look for an apartment. 

“You're moving out?” Wei WuXian asked between bites of his burger. Lan WangJi had already reprimanded him from eating too much junk food lately, and Wei WuXian responded by stuffing a handful of fries on his face. 

“After I finish my doctorate,” Lan WangJi answered. 

Lan WangJi and Lan XiChen lived in a condominium together owned by their parents ever since they started college. Now that they were both working, he wanted to have a place of his own. (One of the more important reasons was that so he could have Wei WuXian anytime, and without interruption.)

Wei WuXian hummed in acknowledgement, suddenly appearing thoughtful.

“What’s wrong?”

“Huh?” Wei WuXian blinked. “Oh. Nothing. Just grading an exam on my mind,” He waved a hand in dismissal. “Anyway, do you know how students are getting more creative these days? One typed an entire xiaolongbao recipe in the middle of their paper! Hahaha of course I failed him, but I thought we can try that recipe next time.”

Lan WangJi tried to discern his companion for a moment, before going back to his food. Wei WuXian would appear lost in thought lately, but when Lan WangJi tried to probe him, Wei WuXian would say it was due to the last stretch of the semester. Lan WangJi gave him the benefit of the doubt, and listened attentively about Wei WuXian’s plan to cook a very special spicy xiaolongbao.

°°°

“Isn’t this a little too big?” Wei WuXian stared at the king-sized bed that mostly occupied the whole space of the bedroom, before proceeding to jump on the foam face-first.

“Ah, this is so soft!”

Lan WangJi has chosen a two-bedroom apartment condo a train station away from the university. It was already fully furnished, so he did not have to waste time buying furniture. Wei WuXian inspected the place seriously, commenting on every piece of object he could find. 

Lan WangJi shrugged. He thought that the space was comfortable enough for two. 

“Do you want to break it in?” Lan WangJi asked while looking at the bed. 

Wei WuXian rolled to point an accusing finger at his boyfriend. “You are such a pervert! And people always assumed that I corrupted you,” He harrumphed. “You haven't even bought this place yet, have you?”

“Not yet. Do you like it?”

“The place? I’m not the one who’s gonna live in it,” Wei WuXian said, and Lan WangJi just stared at him, so he shook his head in disbelief. 

“I love it.” Wei WuXian proceeded to smother himself on the fluffy pillows. 

°°°

During Lan WangJi’s celebratory dinner, he slipped a key on Wei WuXian’s palm. 

“What’s this?”

“A key.”

“I know it’s a key. Why are you giving me this?”

“Live with me.”

“Wha-?”

“The place we visited last month. Live with me there.” After hearing Lan WangJi’s words, Wei WuXian opened and closed his lips once or twice, like some beached fish gasping for the tide. It was rare to see Wei WuXian inarticulate, and Lan WangJi was satisfied with the result of his surprise. 

“You asked me to look for an apartment with you,” Wei WuXian started. 

“Yes.”

“You asked for my opinion.”

“Mhn.”

“You asked if I liked it. That’s why it's big.”

“...” Lan WangJi did not know where Wei WuXian was going with all this interrogation, so he opted not to voice a reply, and just slowly nod. 

“Why didn't you tell me??” And Lan WangJi looked at him like he was an idiot. 

“Isn’t this your graduation? Why am I the one who’s receiving a gift?” Wei WuXian asked as he cradled the key like it was his most treasured possession, and Lan WangJi wanted to tell him that seeing him like this was more than enough. 

“You haven’t answered yet.” Lan WangJi said instead. 

“Yes! Yes, of course!” Wei WuXian looked so happy that Lan WangJi thought that he should have told him sooner, but then Wei WuXian tackled him on the ground and was kissing him senseless and Lan WangJi was glad that he had told him right at that moment.

* * *

“You're not a student anymore,” Wei WuXian said as they walked towards the station for their daily commute, Lan WangJi’s hand on his left, and a steamed bun on the other. 

“Is that not to your liking?” Lan WangJi never verbalized it, but he was slightly disturbed on how could Wei WuXian scarf down six baskets of xiaolongbao last night and still be able to eat breakfast the day after. 

“I felt like I’m corrupting my pure-hearted student before, now we're just one of those normal couples who does some PDA once in a while.”

“I was never even your student.” Nor was he pure-hearted as Wei WuXian thought he was. 

“Ssh. Don't destroy my fantasy.”

“I can visit the campus.” Lan WangJi offered. 

“Don’t. Now that you’ve finally graduated, all of the students’ attention are on me again.”

Lan WangJi stopped on his tracks, and glanced at Wei WuXian, who has sensed a sudden shift of coldness in the air.

“I’m kidding!” Wei WuXian hastily retracted his statement, and slipped his arm around Lan Wangji’s. “They're too focused on your big brother to notice me. And I’m one of the terror profs, so they’re too scared to make a move.

“I love it when you’re jealous, but you don’t have to be.” Wei WuXian tugged Lan WangJi to kiss him on the ear, before whispering. 

“You’re the only one I need, Lan Zhan.”

* * *

Wei Wuxian would space out from time to time. 

Lan WangJi was used to Wei WuXian being eccentric, a nervous ball of energy that would always start his sentences at the middle, and end with a new topic altogether, expecting people to follow his thought process. He had always imagined Wei WuXian to be a loaded spring, ready to explode into action any moment, an endless source of energy. 

Recently, Wei WuXian would stare at something from a distance, before blinking himself back to consciousness. He looked like he was waiting for something to happen at a moment, anticipating something that frightens him, as he unconsciously squeezed Lan WangJi’s hand.

When Lan WangJi would squeeze his hand back Wei WuXian would breath out a sigh of relief, and smile at him, looking visibly embarrassed.

There were also moments when Wei WuXian looked lonely.

(Often than not, those looks were directed at Lan WangJi, and Lan WangJi knows. He never acknowledged it, but he knows, just as he knows that he would never fully understand Wei WuXian and what he sees beyond Lan WangJi.)

Lan WangJi never tried to contain him. Wei WuXian was the sun, and it was unwise to stifle someone so bright. However, he noticed that sometimes Wei WuXian’s thoughts were bigger than himself. 

Right now, there was nothing he wanted more than to protect Wei WuXian from his mind. 

“I’m here.” Those words had grounded Wei WuXian before, as he would look at Lan WangJi lovingly, kissing him, and saying, “I know.” 

But Lan WangJi felt that it was starting to be not enough, as Wei WuXian began to look at him with a longing gaze, a somewhat bitter smile played on his lips.

* * *

Wei WuXian would suddenly disappear for a few days. 

Most of the time, he would tell Lan WangJi beforehand, but there were instances when Wei WuXian would just message him that he would not come home for a while. 

He never failed to send an email everyday to notify Lan WangJi where he was, or what he was doing; it became an unspoken promise between them. Most of the time, he would send random pictures of the places he had been or the food he had eaten. 

Wei WuXian never lied about his purpose on those trips, but he had not told the truth either. 

“Just trust me, okay?” He would always say to Lan WangJi, as he packed some essentials and kissed him goodbye. 

For the six years he had known Wei WuXian, the professor would sometimes take a few days off from work for personal reasons. Lan WangJi never pried, but when they got together, he thought that Wei WuXian was visiting his parents’ graves. This was then denied by Wei WuXian, but he assured Lan WangJi that he’ll go with him if he ever plans to. 

After each trip, Wei WuXian would come back exhausted; what he was doing was physically draining. Lan WangJi would anxiously search him for bruises or injuries, but nothing ever came up. Wei WuXian would laugh, saying Lan WangJi was being a worrywart as always. 

They ended up having a nasty fight. 

Wei WuXian had just gotten home after three days, but he told Lan WangJi that he would be out again that night. 

“How many days?” Lan WangJi stood by the doorway of their bedroom, as Wei WuXian busied himself with packing a duffel bag. 

“I don’t know yet.” And he could hear the uncertainty in Wei WuXian’s voice, and both of them knew that this was different from the past trips. 

“Where are you going?”

“...China.” There were many legitimate reasons that Wei WuXian could have used on why he was going there, but he did not add anything else; it was either he did not want to lie, or he knew Lan WangJi would call out on his fib anyway. 

“What about your classes?”

“I’ve already notified the dean and the faculty.” Wei WuXian zipped the duffel bag and hefted it on his shoulder. Lan WangJi eyed the offending bag, then looked at Wei WuXian.

“I’m coming with you.”

“No, you can’t. And you can’t possibly get an airplane ticket on such a short notice. Don’t be unreasonable.” At those words, Lan WangJi has started to run out of patience. 

“Unreasonable?” And how could Wei WuXian say that, when he was currently the textbook definition of someone not being logical, and just being driven by _foolishness._

“You won't tell me anything.” His chest was starting to get painful. Lan WangJi trusted Wei WuXian, but being kept in the dark was too much. He mostly did not mind if Wei WuXian leaves for a while, but he could not possibly wait for his text messages everyday, a sense of dread slowly creeping up to him, telling him that this time, Wei WuXian would not be capable of sending him anything. “Now I’m unreasonable?”

Lan WangJi was scared that whatever Wei WuXian was hiding, it would suddenly take Wei WuXian away from him. 

“Trust-”

“Trust you?” Lan WangJi grabbed Wei WuXian’s arm, unable to compose himself anymore. 

“How could I trust you when you can’t even do that with me?”

Wei WuXian bit his lower lip. “You'll understand soon.”

“Why not now?” Lan WangJi’s eyes were hard as he looked at Wei WuXian. 

“I need this… We both need this.” Wei WuXian looked at him pleadingly, but Lan WangJi still did not understand. What does Wei WuXian leaving got to do with him? He could feel Wei WuXian’s warmth against his fingers, but why did it seem like he was suddenly slipping away from his grasp?

It was only fair, Lan WangJi cruelly thought at that moment, to bring out Wei WuXian’s anxiety in the open. Before Lan WangJi could stop himself, the words flew out of his mouth. 

“You're always scared that I’m leaving you, but isn’t that what you’re doing now?” 

At those words, everything stilled. Wei WuXian paled and looked at him, eyes wide-eyed and pained, and Lan WangJi wanted to take everything back, but Wei WuXian beat him to it. 

“You’re right.” He finally said, his voice small but firm. 

And wasn’t that just a stab in the gut? Something in Lan WangJi broke at Wei Wuxian’s words. Wei WuXian was leaving him, and not just leaving him, but looking for something the both of them didn't even know. It was hard to fight something he didn't even have any idea of. 

Wei WuXian left without the both of them making up. 

Lan WangJi’s heart hurt and his head throbbed as he heard the faint click of their front door, Wei WuXian getting further and further away. They were both too stubborn and end up hurting each other. 

Lan WangJi was angry at Wei WuXian, but he could never ever hate him. And that's what hurt the most, since Wei WuXian, with his teasing smile and insufferable personality, never gave Lan WangJi a chance to hate him. 

And Lan WangJi couldn’t possibly hate him, as Wei WuXian still continued to send photos from his trip. Once he had sent a selfie, a meek smile on his lips, with him doing a finger heart, a text written below. 

_Missing you everyday._

_Come home._ Lan WangJi would type, before deleting it. He never sent anything back, but Wei WuXian still kept his promise of reassuring Lan WangJi that he was doing fine everyday. 

°°°

Wei WuXian went home after a month. It was around midnight when Lan WangJi heard him took off his clothes, his bare feet padding towards the bed, and slipped under the covers. 

Wei WuXian snuggled behind him, and it was almost perfect, as if the previous month didn't happen, like they were always meant to do this, to be able to hold each other until they were just melded into one. 

“I’ve always liked your back,” Wei WuXian said, his tone a bit distant. 

Lan WangJi sometimes squirmed because he would want to face Wei WuXian, but he lets him this time. 

“I regret going away,” Wei WuXian whispered against his back.

A wave of relief washed over Lan WangJi. Without meaning to, he must have thought of the worst scenario when Wei WuXian came back. “Then don't do it again.”

Lan WangJi felt the arms wrapped around him tighten, a spot on his back wet. The body behind him was trembling, and he could only hold the arms that encircled him, kissing the pale knuckles one after another. It hurt, having no idea what his lover was going through, and knowing that he has not enough power to overcome this obstacle with him. 

“I won’t. I’m sorry.” Lan WangJi heard him say, voice all hoarse and lonely, and he never felt so helpless before, as he could only offer his back as comfort. 

“I love you, Lan Zhan. I love you so much that it hurts.”

Lan WangJi freed himself from Wei WuXian’s hold to turn to him, and reached to cup Wei WuXian’s face in his hands, his thumbs wiping the tear streaks on his cheeks. He had never seen Wei WuXian so vulnerable before, and it pained Lan WangJi that he had been the cause of this. He should have replied to his messages, should have chased him, should have tried harder to make him stay. Maybe that would have made a difference. 

“But I will never want to trade this feeling with anything else. Do you understand? You only have to believe that.” Wei WuXian pressed his face against Lan WangJi’s hand. 

“Everything else… It will all make sense soon. I just don't want to pre-empt anything, okay?” Wei WuXian turned to kiss Lan WangJi’s knuckles, before burying his face on Lan WangJi’s chest. He took a deep breath, before pressing his ear near Lan WangJi’s heart. Listening to Lan WangJi's pulse must have been comforting enough, as Wei WuXian slowly drifted off to sleep. 

“I won’t trade this with anything, either.” Lan WangJi whispered on a slumbering Wei WuXian. 

In Lan WangJi's dream later that night, he has his fingers tangled in Wei WuXian's hair, cradling his head, their bodies still pressed together. 

"The face doesn't show it, so listen to the heartbeat," He heard himself say.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! Their fight was inspired by Aimer’s “Words”. It’s so sad pls give it a listen.
> 
> Hopefully I'll be able to post the next chapter within next week. Kudos and comments are highly appreciated <3
> 
> (ALSO YILING LAOZU TOMORROW IM ASJKFHJ DSGHDKJH)


	3. Chapter 3

After the fight, the couple were attached to the hip as ever. 

Wei WuXian made up for his absence by his even more constant presence. He did not go to any trips that lasted for more than two days, and made sure to ask Lan WangJi if he wanted to come with every time. Lan WangJi would always refuse, sensing that Wei WuXian was just being polite, and he did not want to pressure him into opening up. 

Despite the “space” Lan WangJi was willing to give his boyfriend, Wei WuXian did not have any concept of personal space to begin with. To the couple, excessive doting is out of their vocabulary, and their over-the-top flirting continued to plague their respective offices. 

Wei WuXian would sometimes surprise Lan WangJi by visiting the museum he was working at, taking his time to flirt with the staff, to Lan WangJi’s annoyance. It would always end up with Lan WangJi shooing Wei WuXian home, or locking the both of them in his office until Lan WangJi’s work ends. 

Still, the shadow of their fight from that time still lingered. 

Lan WangJi still did not understand Wei WuXian, and he learned that he needed to live with it, but he felt Wei WuXian could not forgive himself for their fight just yet. 

“You don't have to try so hard,” Lan WangJi said as they settled in their living room. There was a buddy-cop show Wei WuXian insisted on watching every night together. And he did find the appeal of the series, but seeing Wei WuXian tear up from laughing too much was more enjoyable to watch. 

“What are you talking about?” Wei WuXian asked, but the question was rhetorical, as Wei WuXian always knew what Lan WangJi is thinking. There was a beat of silence, before he talked again. 

“You always make it easy for me, Lan Zhan. Loving you is easy.”

Lan WangJi muted the television, before looking at Wei WuXian. “You said it hurts.”

“It hurts because you keep doubting my love for you!” Wei WuXian draped himself dramatically over his lap. When he noticed Lan WangJi’s eyes and his unmoving resolve about the matter, Wei WuXian sighed as he started playing with the tips of his boyfriend’s hair. 

“That’s different, you know that.” He tugged softly, and Lan WangJi leaned in to accommodate Wei WuXian’s touches that were slowly moving their way to his head. Lan WangJi hummed in contentment as Wei WuXian’s fingers always felt wonderful against his scalp. 

“How so?”

“Hmm… like how you are always frustrated with me when I talk with others.”

“You don’t just talk. You-”

“Flirt. Yes, yes. I mean, no. I don’t do that.” Wei WuXian shook his head. He kept squirming against Lan WangJi’s lap and it was getting distracting. Maybe it was Wei WuXian’s idea of making him drop the subject, but Lan WangJi knew not to fall for it. “So you get it now, don’t you?”

Lan WangJi still did not get it. He could not imagine of an instance where he frustrated Wei WuXian just as Wei WuXian frustrated him. 

“I can hear you think, Lan Zhan,” Wei WuXian patted his cheek.

“It hurts now, right? Not understanding anything. Then we’re the same. Most of the time I don’t know what to do. I’m not sure if what I’m doing is right, but I want it to be. God, I hope I’m right.”

Wei WuXian looked at him, his face infinitely wise and lonely. It was strange to see Wei WuXian acting his age, and Lan WangJi wanted nothing more than to wipe that expression off his face. 

(The look also meant Wei WuXian knew something that Lan WangJi did not, something that concerned _him_ , and it made his chest ache.)

“Lan Zhan, kiss me. It’ll make you feel better.” _Make us feel better_ , Lan WangJi heard the underlying plea in his voice. Wei WuXian grinned, his fingertips pressed on Lan WangJi’s nape as he urged him down to press their lips. Wei WuXian’s words still weighed in his mind, but the kiss did ease his heart.

* * *

Lan WangJi became a father at the age of twenty five.

He was working as a curator for an art gallery nearby the campus. At the end of each day, Wei WuXian would pick Lan WangJi up then they would go to the station together. That was their usual routine, unless Wei WuXian had after school duties, then Lan WangJi would come get him instead. 

For today, Wei WuXian asked Lan WangJi to fetch him at the park.

Lan WangJi saw Wei WuXian standing over a sandpit, where a child was hunched, building what it looked like a deformed castle. He approached the two, eyebrow already lifted in question. 

As if on cue, Wei WuXian turned at him, a smile already gracing his face. “Oh, you’re finally here, Lan Zhan.” 

“What are you doing?” Lan WangJi was still trying to make sense of the situation, assessing his boyfriend, then the child. Was the boy lost? But he did not look distressed. Maybe Wei WuXian has already calmed him down. 

“I want to adopt this kid,” Wei WuXian announced, at the same time Lan WangJi asked, “Did you steal the child?”

Wei WuXian sputtered indignantly. “J-just how low do you think of me?”

Lan WangJi gave him a look, clearly saying, _do you really want me to answer that?_

He ignored his boyfriend’s offensive take on his kind and gentle character, and presented the child with a flourish. “Little Jiang Cheng here is from the orphanage. I asked him if he wanted to take a walk.”

The child stood up from the pit and dusted his knees. When Lan WangJi looked at him, he bowed. 

“My name is Jiang Cheng. I’m six years old.”

“Aw, isn’t he cute? I taught him to do that.”

“Did this man scare you?” He pointed at Wei WuXian, who looked comically shocked and insulted. 

Jiang Cheng shook his head. “He is weird, but he isn't bad.”

At the child’s words, Wei WuXian crooned before smothering Jiang Cheng with a hug. The child squirmed half-heartedly, clearly liking Wei WuXian’s affection for him. 

“Is he not lying when he said he wanted to adopt me?” Jiang Cheng struggled to turn to Lan WangJi, who more or less had already accepted the sudden turn of events. 

“As suspicious-looking as he is, he doesn’t lie,” Lan WangJi confirmed.

“You’re really just pushing it, Lan Zhan.”

“I heard there are many requirements, will you still be able to do it?” Jiang Cheng continued. Wei WuXian laughed and flashed him a thumbs up. 

“Every requirement is worth to go through just so we can adopt you. I’ll even go through hell and back! Hahahaha”

“I don’t think you need to do that, mister…” But Jiang Cheng was grinning, pleased with Wei WuXian’s determination. 

As the trio walked back to the orphanage, Jiang Cheng’s hands clasped tightly around both of theirs, Wei WuXian with a bounce on his every step, Lan WangJi decided to review his life. 

They were definitely doing things out of order, but nothing ever went as planned when it comes to Wei WuXian anyway. At least they have already started living together before having a child. 

Lan WangJi felt the weight of the small box in his pocket. Maybe in due time, he would finally get the timing right. Proposing now did not feel appropriate; he did not want to take away this moment from the child, knowing how precious it was for him, for the three of them. 

Lan WangJi did not expect to be a father at the age of twenty five, but he did not also expect the inexplicable warmth he felt with just the prospect of it.

* * *

Lan WangJi still was not able to time it right. 

It had been months since Wei WuXian announced that he wanted to adopt Jiang Cheng. The paperwork had been really tedious, as well as the social visits, especially since Lan WangJi and Wei WuXian were not married. Looking back, he should have proposed a long time ago. But proposing now might make Wei WuXian think that Lan WangJi was just asking for his hand because of the adoption requirements, and he did not want another misunderstanding between them. 

At least taking care of Jiang Cheng came naturally to the couple. Lan WangJi has zero experience when it comes to raising children, but Jiang Cheng made it easy for them nearly all the time. He was definitely mature for his age, and mostly just roped along with Wei Wuxian’s antics than being the instigator of rebellious acts. However, he has a habit of being a bit too prideful to ask for their assistance when he really needed it the most. 

During Jiang Cheng’s first few weeks in their house, he accidentally peed on his bed one night. The next day, a pair of pajama pants and comforter soaked with fabric softener were dangling on the balcony, the floor inside their house sticky and wet. Wei WuXian and Lan WangJi assumed that Jiang Cheng must have dragged the washed bedding from the laundry room to the balcony, leaving bubbly trails on his wake. 

“I couldn’t sleep because the bed was dirty, so I cleaned it for you,” Jiang Cheng had said, arms crossed and face proud, wearing a new set of pajamas. 

It took them most part of the morning to wipe the whole mess, and the entire afternoon to redo the cleaning, because Wei WuXian and Jiang Cheng decided to have a contest on who could slide across the room faster, squirting liquid soap on the floor for better results. Lan WangJi had given up scolding the both of them in the middle of the day, and promptly left the house, leaving the two to their own devices. When he came back, Wei WuXian was in a serious scrubbing mode, with Jiang Cheng passionately cheering him from the sides.

(Up until this day, they could not remove the bubble stains on the floor.) 

°°°

Rather than a father, Wei WuXian acted more of an older brother, teasing Jiang Cheng relentlessly and pranking him non-stop until he was only a nudge away from bursting into tears. Jiang Cheng would then hide behind Lan WangJi, pointing an accusing finger at Wei WuXian. After a few silent scoldings, Jiang Cheng would still seek Wei WuXian so they could play again then the cycle repeats itself. Lan WangJi thought that Jiang Cheng would never learn his lesson, but Wei WuXian would get this gentle smile reserved only for the child, full of contentment and joy, and Lan WangJi was glad for the dysfunctional family they have. 

Lan WangJi could sense a deep bond between Jiang Cheng and Wei WuXian. He did not feel threatened; just thinking about it was laughable enough. If Jiang Cheng was the reason Wei WuXian was starting to gain his brilliance back, then Lan WangJi was glad they found him. 

The three of them decided to visit the park one Saturday, Jiang Cheng sailing a kite behind him. He was chipper than usual, as Lan WangJi broke the news that he would be starting school next week. They have already prepared for Jiang Cheng’s daily commute to his school and back, and asked for Lan XiChen’s help if both of them wound up working late. 

“You’ll be lonely once I go to school, so let’s play one last time,” Jiang Cheng had said to Wei WuXian with pity, thus leading to their current situation.

“Hey! What are you doing?! Stop ruining my kite!” Jiang Cheng shouted as he jerked the string of his kite just in time to avoid the rock Wei WuXian threw at its direction.

“Then fly it higher! And that’s my kite, I was the one who made it!” Wei WuXian yelled back, posing to throw another rock again. 

“Lan Zhan made it! You just complained!” Jiang Cheng ran faster, attempting to propel the kite higher using the wind. 

“I designed it! And you’re the one to talk, you just watched!” Wei WuXian pitched without hesitation, Jiang Cheng shrieking in laughter as he narrowly avoided the attack. Lan WangJi continued to watch from the sidelines, unfazed by the amount of screaming and running the two were able to produce in just a short amount of time. 

“Join us!” Jiang Cheng managed to say as he whipped past Lan WangJi. He considered the invitation for a moment, before placing his bag on the bench. Lan WangJi waited for Wei WuXian to run past before trailing behind. 

In the end, Wei WuXian was screaming in half joy and half fear as Lan WangJi chased him with a purpose around the field; Jiang Cheng was lying on the grass, already defeated. If there were any bystanders present during the intense (and unfair) chase scene, no one batted an eye.

* * *

At the age of twenty six, Lan WangJi started to have dreams of his past. 

It was vague at first. He felt he was inside of someone else's body, but he knew it was still him. He felt the breeze caressing his cheeks, the scent of gentian and magnolia barely registering. Beside him was another man, a flute cradled in his hand. The face was vague, changing constantly between two features. They continued to change until they muddled into one. It was Wei Ying. 

That was when everything clicked into place. 

Wei WuXian would sometimes slip a word or two, as if he was about to tell something, but decided against it at the last minute. Lan WangJi thought that it was just his boyfriend’s quirk, to jump from one topic to the next, expecting the listener to have understood him. It kept on happening lately, however, and Wei WuXian would always wound up worrying his bottom lip in the end. Lan WangJi did not know how to broach the topic, so he figured that Wei WuXian would open up about it eventually.

"That one time..."

"Do you remember..."

"You still do that..."

_"You never change."_

His head throbbed, and a sudden influx of memories invaded his mind.

 _One_ , his fingertips rough and void of feeling as he continued to play Inquiry for thirteen years. He came back, just as Lan WangJi expected. For the degenerated clan that held the name of the sun was always an impostor in his mind, as there would not ever be a sunrise the world can offer that will be as warm or as perfect as Wei Ying himself. 

_Two_ , he was an artist forced in another rebellion, and became a cultivator. Lan WangJi remembered immediately, just as he and Wei WuXian met. It was heaven compared to their first lifetime together, until it wasn’t. He dedicated the rest of his life trying to gain immortality and failed. 

_Three_ , he could only remember an intense heat surrounding him, the smell of smoke as it filled his lungs, as his eyes was blinded by a strong light. It was hazy, his memories, but he was certain he was not able to find Wei WuXian this time. 

_Fourth_ , he felt Wei WuXian stir beneath him, and then a soft warm hand came up to rest against his cheek. 

"Are you okay? What’s wrong?" Wei WuXian asked, voice groggy with sleep, yet his eyes already searching Lan WangJi. 

This was his fourth lifetime. 

“Wei Ying,” Lan WangJi looked at him with a newly found awe. He cupped Wei WuXian’s jaw, his hand carding through his hair. He continued to stare; he knew the exact shade and shape of those eyes now. He had seen them in semi-darkness and in the bright early light of the morning- ever since a thousand years ago. 

“I remember.”

“Oh,” Wei WuXian’s breath hitched, and Lan WangJi pulled back just enough to press kisses against his temple, his cheek, and the hinge of his jaw.

"Oh," Wei WuXian breathed again, Lan WangJi's words finally caught up to him, the revelation lighting up every corner of his face gradually.

Lan WangJi could feel it in his entire being, in his soul, in his heart—this was his Wei Ying, the person he had dedicated his past lifetimes to, the person he had loved with every fiber of his being, the person he had promised to never leave but ended up doing so anyway.

The longing he saw in Wei WuXian’s features, the loneliness Lan WangJi could not seem to erase. How Wei WuXian looked so defeated sometimes, and frustrated when Lan WangJi tried to decipher his thoughts.

Lan WangJi had encountered multiple lives, had lived through seasons changing as his previous bodies grew tired and frail. He had experienced death for a long time, a wandering soul until it was his time to be reborn, but what of Wei WuXian?

Lan WangJi’s eyes grew wide in horror as the sudden realization came crashing upon him.

It all started gradually in their first life. The silver on Lan WangJi’s hair. The wrinkles on his hand. Lan WangJi got older, but Wei WuXian did not. 

There was only one explanation: Wei WuXian was immortal, and Lan WangJi was not. It was how the heavens resolved it. A way to punish Wei WuXian and to celebrate his heroic deeds at the same time. A blessing and a curse. 

Wei WuXian has been granted immortality, and he would see Lan WangJi die every time. 

“I was lonely, but I always knew you’d come back,” Wei WuXian pulled Lan WangJi out of his thoughts, as he closed his eyes and pressed their foreheads together, their breaths mingling. Wei WuXian sounded so pleased and heady, like Lan WangJi remembering was _enough_ , when it should not be. 

“You’ve waited a long time,” Came a torn reply from Lan WangJi, voice ragged and grating. He tried to pull away, but Wei WuXian kept him in place, grounding him, easing his frantic mind and throbbing heart. 

“You did the same for me,” Wei WuXian whispered, his thumb brushing against Lan WangJi’s trembling lips. However, Lan WangJi knew that thirteen years was nothing compared to centuries. 

"It’s really funny because one of us always gets left behind," And yet there was no trace of mirth in Wei WuXian’s voice.

“But I’ve decided not to worry about it too much. I want to treasure this lifetime with you more, and I want you to do the same.” Wei WuXian held Lan WangJi tighter, refusing to accept any resistance against his words. 

“We’ll do everything together. No more hiding.” Keeping things from each other had always bit them back tenfold, and Wei WuXian was determined not to do the same mistakes again. The imposing weight was finally lifted off his shoulder as Lan WangJi remembers, Wei WuXian didn't have to hide anything from him anymore.

But Lan WangJi was just as stubborn, and he would definitely try to change their cruel fate this time. How could he not? Wei WuXian had suffered enough, no matter how strong his will is, he shouldn’t have endured everything alone. If Lan WangJi failed this time, he would be leaving Wei WuXian again indefinitely. But for now- for Wei WuXian’s sake, he yielded. 

He let himself nod, releasing a shaky breath he didn’t know he was holding in. Wei WuXian exhaled in relief, the tension on his body finally leaving. Lan WangJi listened to them both breathe in and out until they were uncannily in synch. 

They lay together for a long time, not sleeping, not talking either, just drinking in the sight of each other, hands exploring with wonder and later, with intent. Hands were later joined by mouths and tongues, a tangle of limbs where one could not identify where one ends and one begins. 

“Kiss me, _Lan er gege_ ,” Wei WuXian breathed, and Lan WangJi leaned to catch his lips and slid his hands under Wei WuXian’s shirt, and towards the conclusion both of them _needed_. 

°°°

Lan WangJi asked Wei WuXian about the years when he wasn’t around. 

“What were you doing?” Lan WangJi stroked his hair, softly unraveling the strands tangled with sweat. He figured that it would be a touchy subject for the both of them, but curiosity got the better of him, and they would eventually need to talk about it anyway.

Wei WuXian was curled comfortably on top of him, limbs sore and tired but he was mostly awake. “Travel and research. I've already been given immortality, so I left, thinking that I might find you somewhere else.

“But I still try to cultivate, even though there isn’t much to learn now. Two years ago…” He trailed off. It was the time when he was gone for a month. 

“There was this mountain, do you remember? BaoShan SanRen. I thought I could look for her again. Not really successful, though.” The word “again” remained in Lan WangJi’s mind. How many times did Wei WuXian went to that mountain, only to come back empty-handed? 

“I thought you’re going to leave me,” Lan WangJi said. 

“Of course not!” Wei WuXian abruptly raised his head to look up at him disapprovingly.

“You’d look for a younger student. It was always your fantasy,” Lan WangJi continued, eyeing him. 

Wei WuXian opened his mouth in protest, before closing it again. “...You're just messing with me aren’t you? You’re such a dumbass,” Wei WuXian finally laughed, and slumped back to Lan WangJi’s chest. Lan WangJi hummed a confirmation, and continued to brush Wei WuXian’s hair with his fingers.

“I regret having to spend that month without you. It was such a waste.”

Time must really flow differently for Wei WuXian, Lan WangJi thought. Being immortal, Wei WuXian knew how precious his time was with people, knowing they would have to leave him eventually. 

“Bichen and Wangji are safely stored somewhere. We can take a look at them if you want,” Wei WuXian prompted; he always had an inkling whatever was running on Lan WangJi’s mind. And this time, he suspected it was not leading to anything good.

“When we have time,” Lan WangJi answered. He had felt his spiritual powers return just as he remembered his past lives. He has suspicions that they were just dormant to begin with, with his memories as the trigger. Maybe he could try using-

“Don’t you dare use the silence spell on me,” Wei WuXian warned. Lan WangJi looked away. There was always a next time. 

This night would definitely take its toll on them the following day, but for the better part, he didn’t feel any dissonance. His memories was just an extension of him, not someone else’s. The memories of his past reincarnations are his own. And wasn’t that just exhilarating? He continued to love Wei WuXian, and his past reincarnations didn’t have a single doubt about it, that any iteration of him would remain loving Wei WuXian, and so did he.

Lan WangJi thought that Wei WuXian had finally fallen asleep, when he started talking again.

“Just so you know, and if you're still hung up about it. You're my first, and everything that comes after. I’m a faithful husband hahaha.” Wei WuXian made it a point not to look at him, but tips of his ears were bright red. “I just had to spell it out for you, since you're so good at jumping to conclusions.”

And how could he not continue to love this man? This person who was powerful yet vulnerable, who would mask his sorrow with a grin and an offhand remark, who would wait for Lan WangJi and open up his heart just for him. 

Lan WangJi responded by pulling him up for a kiss, conveying everything he couldn’t with words because he knew words wouldn’t be enough for this. It wouldn’t give the love he’s feeling for Wei WuXian any justice. He didn’t know if it was possible to voluntarily radiate love, like a chemical released within one’s body, but he would try. For Wei WuXian, he would try.

 _Husband_. He wanted that to be official for this lifetime.

* * *

Lan WangJi proposed on the same year. 

He finally realized that he would never get the timing right, because there was no right timing to begin with. Lan WangJi could propose to Wei WuXian during a war, he could propose to him while they are in a fight with each other. Wei WuXian would have the same answer in any scenario. Lan WangJi thought he was too full of himself, and yet in his mind he was sure. There were no room for doubts. The stars have aligned a long time ago, and all he needed to do was ask. 

Lan WangJi proposed to WuXian while he was preparing Jiang Cheng a (mostly edible) lunch.

“Wei Ying,” WangJi prompted beside him. 

“Yeah?” Wei WuXian continued to chop some carrots to add on the dish. 

“Why aren’t you still my wife?” Wei WuXian nearly sliced his thumb at the sudden question, and he was ready to scold his boyfriend and his _timing_ , but was met with an already kneeling Lan WangJi, a small box containing a simple silver band in his hand. 

After a few hours of unfiltered glee, important phone calls, and make out sessions in between, Lan WangJi received a smack on his head. “I’m going to be your husband, Lan er gege. We're in the 21st century already.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WWX was definitely watching Brooklyn Nine Nine, I think he can relate with Jake lol
> 
> Ahhh I hope the pacing was alright, I plan to end this fic next chapter if all goes well. On another note, I have plans of writing a fic about jiang cheng and his forbidden crush towards his "uncle" lan xichen if anyone's interested in seeing that hahaha
> 
> (S1 ends today :c see u on the other side)
> 
> As always, your kudos and comments are always appreciated <3 Thank you for reading!


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is not the end!! Haha sorry I really tried... but it kept on getting longer and longer. I wouldn't be able to post anything now if I continued to do all in a chapter, so I decided to cut it into two parts. But I promise that this will end in the next chapter, and I'll probably upload it a few days from now. :) 
> 
> For this chapter, characters will be calling Lan Huan as Lan Xichen to avoid confusion (mostly on my part). I'll edit the other chapters soon for this as well. 
> 
> Lan WangJi and Lan XiChen's parents' names were not stated in the novel, so I took the liberty to name them for this fic. 
> 
> Enjoy!

“My parents want to meet you and Jiang Cheng,” Lan WangJi announced over dinner, and Wei WuXian nearly choked on his food, the chili powder (for his dish only) shooting up to his nostrils.

Lan WangJi raised his eyebrow at his fiance’s reaction.

“Oh shit, I totally forgot!” Wei WuXian managed to say, as he lurched for his water. It had totally slipped his mind, that in this life, Lan WangJi has parents that are alive and well. 

“Language.” Jiang Cheng glared at him, to which Wei WuXian responded by adding more meat on Jiang Cheng’s plate as apology. 

Once he got over the near-choking experience, Wei WuXian continued. “Do they know about the wedding? When can we meet them?” There were many things Wei WuXian wanted to ask Lan WangJi, but he figured he would find answers once they visit his parents. For Wei WuXian’s lengthy life on earth, he had never had the chance to meet Lan WangJi’s parents before, so this was an entirely new territory for him. 

“Mhm. Next weekend?” Lan WangJi reached out for a napkin, and dabbed the dripping sauce off Wei WuXian’s chin. 

“Is Lan XiChen coming?” Jiang Cheng quipped.

“It’s his house, so I guess he is. Why?” Wei WuXian gave him a questioning look. 

“Nothing.” Jiang Cheng blew him off and appeared busy chewing. 

Unfortunately for Jiang Cheng, that feigned nonchalance had gotten Wei WuXian’s interest piqued. He nudged him teasingly. “What? You want to play with him more than me?” Jiang Cheng refused to answer by stuffing more food in his mouth. 

°°°

Wei WuXian was nervous to say the least. He didn't think meeting the parents was supposed to be this nerve-wracking, but as the date got closer and closer, the more he kept second-guessing himself. Wei WuXian had somehow lodged in his mind that he must impress Lan WangJi’s parents and gain their approval. 

“You’re going to be fine,” Lan WangJi assured him when he noticed Wei WuXian bouncing his knees, and intertwined their fingers together. It was finally the day of the visit, and it was decided at the last minute that they would spend the whole weekend at the Lan household. Wei WuXian knew that he shouldn’t be as worried as he was; he has a thousand years of experience in his arsenal, and has learned a thing or two about etiquette. He had also spent a long time in the Cloud Recesses, the four thousand rules looming over his mind even now. 

(Wei WuXian didn't recall reading about how to act around one’s fiance’s parents, unfortunately.) 

“Our parents are going to love you and Jiang Cheng,” Lan XiChen called out in the driver’s seat. Jiang Cheng had immediately called shotgun before the trip, and Lan XiChen was the only person in their party that has a license. 

Despite the assurance he got from the brothers, Wei WuXian was still unsure. He shot them a grateful grin, and distracted himself by playing with Lan WangJi’s fingers while watching the scenery passing by.

°°°

“My boys, welcome home!” Lan Shu, Lan WangJi and Lan XiChen’s mother, was a beautiful woman. With her fair skin and raven hair that reached her hip, she didn’t look like someone who already has two grown men as sons. It wasn’t surprising, Wei WuXian supposed, she produced the ethereal Lan brothers after all. The woman gave each of the brothers a hug, before turning to Wei WuXian. 

“You must be Wei Ying.” Lan Shu approached him, hands already reaching out. Before Wei WuXian could respond, he was enveloped by soft and warm arms, the earthy smell of gentian mixed with perfume permeating his senses.

She pulled away a little to have a better look at him. “I’ve heard a lot about you. You’re really as gorgeous as they say.” As the words came out of her mouth, a loud thud was heard behind them, where Lan WangJi was bringing down their overnight bags from the car trunk. 

“I have many sources, of course. Not just from a certain son I have.” She giggled, and Wei WuXian nearly laughed at the warning look Lan WangJi was sending his mother that was easily deflected by experience.

“It’s nice to finally meet you, Mrs. Lan-”

“Oh no, please call me mother. You’re going to call me that soon anyway, might as well start now.” Lan Shu winked, the words barely registering in Wei WuXian’s mind. 

“And you must be Jiang Cheng. How cute!” The woman let go of Wei WuXian in favor of smothering Jiang Cheng. The child shyly hugged back, surprised to see an energetic version of the Lans. 

“Come in, come in. Their father had to take care of some business, but he should be home soon.”

It didn't take much time for them to settle down, and by late afternoon, the Lan’s head of the family finally arrived. Lan GuanYu was a stern man and looked eerily similar to Lan Qiren, sans the mustache and goatee. Wei WuXian wondered if they were the original twin jades of Gusu, and placed a mental note to ask Lan WangJi later.

Before dinner, Wei WuXian and Jiang Cheng explored the Lan property with gusto. It was a traditional two-storey house, with a garden and a small pond in their backyard. Wei WuXian remembered their time in Lotus Pier, where he and Jiang Cheng would chase around small birds in the large stone garden, while being half-heartedly chastised by their shijie for disrupting other disciples. 

He wondered if he could meet the whole Jiang family someday. They probably wouldn’t remember the past, what good would it bring them, anyway? But still, those thoughts has been constant in his mind. Finding Jiang Cheng was a miracle, and having him close like this was surreal, but having the two most important people with him, the three of them living as family, he was scared that something would suddenly take them away. Wei WuXian knew that this happiness was just temporary, until the gods get bored and play with him again. 

Shaking those unnecessary thoughts, he gathered himself and lightly slapped his cheeks.

“Hey, want to look for bugs?” He asked Jiang Cheng, kneeling down to scrutinize the ground for interesting-looking insects. He couldn't possibly run wild with a child in this small garden, nor was it really proper to do so, that was why he had to settle for the second best. 

Jiang Cheng seemed to have no problem with the proposal, as he eagerly searched for crickets and beetles, and named them one by one. Wei WuXian discovered that Jiang Cheng retained his weird naming sense when he called the stag beetle he caught ‘beauty’.

Lan WangJi was sitting on the wooden platform overlooking the garden, staring at them. Now that Jiang Cheng was entertained by the activity, Wei WuXian decided to join his fiance. 

“Your parents are nice,” Wei WuXian said as he sit beside Lan WangJi, gently plucking a pink peony from the bush near their feet.

“They like you,” Lan WangJi replied, his tone voicing out the silent _I told you so_.

“It’s too early to say that! But I really hope you’re right.” Wei WuXian tucked the peony behind Lan WangJi’s ear, his fingers coming up instantly to thread through Lan WangJi’s hair, his free hand resting on the base of his fiance’s neck. 

“It really suits you.” Wei WuXian kissed him, light and soft. Nothing playful nor sly, just an honest to goodness peck on the lips. 

No matter how Wei WuXian kissed him, Lan WangJi’s reactions were never lukewarm. Wei WuXian pulled back only so far as to look at Lan WangJi, to study the heat of his gaze, the brightened hue of his eyes just for him.

 _Just for me._

It only took him a second to savor the feeling, as Lan WangJi chased his lips for another kiss. Wei WuXian readily complied, tightening his hold on his neck, parting his lips for Lan WangJi to explore. 

“What are you thinking?” Lan WangJi asked, their breaths still mingling, making Wei WuXian smile. Of course, it wouldn’t escape Lan Wangji’s notice that something was in his mind. 

“Just thinking how lucky I am to have someone as beautiful and perfect as you.” 

“Oh my.” A female voice behind them said softly, and it couldn’t possibly be anyone else's other than Lan Shu's.

Wei WuXian felt himself heat up. If it was anybody else caught them making out, it wouldn’t be any problem. Hell, it wouldn’t be as embarrassing if Lan WangJi’s father was the one who saw them. Just like Lan WangJi, Lan Shu seemed to have a knack for getting Wei WuXian flustered. 

“Sorry! We got distracted hahaha…” He had managed to put a decent amount of space between him and Lan WangJi in the end. It would have looked normal, but Wei WuXian’s swollen lips and Lan WangJi’s slightly tousled hair were a dead giveaway. Wei WuXian tried to look at Lan WangJi, who seemed to be trying his best not to look at him. 

Lan Shu just laughed and ushered them inside. “Don’t mind me. Come to the table, it’s time for dinner.”

Thankfully, the dinner was pleasant enough. The conversation was passed around between Wei WuXian, Lan XiChen, and Lan Shu, with the occasional “Mn,” from Lan GuanYu and Lan WangJi. 

Wei WuXian was told that Lan GuanYu owned a small law firm, and Lan XiChen was expected to take over someday. 

“Lan XiChen, are you gonna shout ‘objection!’ while defeating bad guys?” Jiang Cheng looked at him expectantly. 

Lan XiChen looked at him with confusion, before understanding what he meant. “Oh, that’s a different lawyer. They’re called defense lawyers. I’m- well, I’m on my way to becoming a corporate lawyer.”

“What does a corporate lawyer do?”

“We work for companies instead of people. They ask us for legal advice and represent them if they have business lawsuits.”

“Really?” Jiang Cheng tried to wrap his head around the words ‘legal advice’ and ‘business lawsuits’. Whatever they are, they didn’t sound that interesting. “I think defense lawyers are way cooler.”

Lan XiChen chuckled at the his words, “I guess they are cooler, huh?”

°°°

Lan Shu and Wei WuXian were left at the dining table for a late night tea. Lan WangJi was tucking Jiang Cheng to bed, and Lan XiChen was with their father to discuss some matters about their firm. 

Wei WuXian was pleasantly surprised with Lan Shu, and shared this thought with the woman, who was pouring tea beside him. 

“Did you think I’m going to be uptight too? Oh please, their father gets all the credit.” She let out a hearty laugh before continuing. “It’s fun to tease them, though.”

“Right? And Lan Zhan wonders why I antagonize him so much.”

She was nodding along with him, the side of her eyes crinkling. “My husband is the most handsome when angry.”

“I guess the apple really doesn’t fall far from the tree,” Wei WuXian supplied, agreeing. A frustrated Lan WangJi was the most attractive, after all. 

Lan Shu looked amused and continued, her voice suddenly becoming wistful. “Lan Zhan is always silent, but he is a sensitive child.”

At those words, Wei WuXian couldn't help but think of the past, and how long it took for him to realize what Lan WangJi’s actions meant. What Wei WuXian had taken for granted all those years. 

He could understand Lan WangJi better now, but there were still times where he wouldn’t want to assume what Lan WangJi’s thinking since he might be mistaken- he had experienced a lot of that already.

“He always knew what's best for people.” _What's best for me._ “He made me a better person.”

“But you changed him too, didn't you? Like a moth to a fire, he was drawn to you, even if it could kill him. He would never let it go.” And Wei WuXian wondered if this was the same woman who killed her husband’s teacher, who had sacrificed her future due to tragic circumstances, who gave up everything due to situations she had no control over, just like him.

“I think you and I can relate to the flames really well. Lan Zhan and my husband, they’re both iron. But we can melt them down and cast them into whatever shapes we please. Isn’t that scary?” As it should be. Wei WuXian was aware of Lan WangJi’s overly devotion to him. He had learned over time that if he asked Lan WangJi to give him his heart, he’d probably pull it out of his chest and ask, “what else?” To have that kind of control on someone, it’s not normal. 

But did Lan WangJi know Wei WuXian would do the same? 

Did Lan WangJi know he was the reason Wei WuXian knew warmth? Did Lan WangJi know the power he had over him—that Wei WuXian starved for him—that every one of his breaths steadied his racing heart?

That if Lan WangJi wanted his heart, Wei WuXian would give him his _everything_ , no questions asked? 

“I love him,” He said defensively, louder than he had expected. And it felt great to say it someone else, to be able to brag and say it to the whole world. But Wei WuXian knew that it was impossible to just encompass his feeling with just _love_. The word was too simple, too plain, yet he couldn’t think of anything else to say without breaking into a cheesy speech that could rival the length of the Gusu Lan Sect’s ‘Wall of Rules’.

“I love him,” So Wei WuXian repeated, thinking that it may be enough to convey it to her. 

“I know.” Lan Shu simply said, her smile never leaving her eyes. 

“I can see how the way he looks at you, and the way you look at him.” Wei WuXian’s mind went to that afternoon in the garden, and he flushed. “And I must say fire and iron are good combination. They have a lot of uses together, no?”

Lan Shu smiled at him like she knew something that he didn't, and it was unsettling, yet it gave him a peace of mind. There was something comforting that no matter how long he had lived, there were things that remained a mystery even for him.

“Still, I had hoped that I’d get a wedding invitation from you two, not just from Lan XiChen,” Lan Shu dramatically sighed, and wiped non-existent tears from her eyes. Wei WuXian was starting to doubt if she was really Lan WangJi's mother.

“Sorry about that,” He said, while bowing his head. ”I guess we were both caught up with the preparations.” When in reality, he just totally forgot. He also planned to reprimand Lan WangJi for not telling him about his parents earlier. 

“But I did plan on asking you!” And Wei WuXian had to involuntarily winced at how untruthful his words sounded, even in his own ears. 

“Uh, if it's not too late, can I…?”

“Yes, please do ask away,” Lan Shu insisted with mirth. 

Wei WuXian swallowed, clearing his throat. He had to do this perfectly. "...May I have the honor of marrying your son?” 

She laughed. “Lan Zhan is his own person, and I think he was already resolute in marrying you for a long time now.” She brought a hand to his cheek, instantly warming his insides. “Thank you for being with ny son, Wei Ying. I can see how happy he is when he’s with you.” 

“So can I really call you mother?” Wei WuXian wanted confirmation, since Lan Shu might have said it out of politeness. 

“I would be mad if you don’t,” She said blithely, her expression serene.

He felt himself exhale in relief, a breath he didn't know he was holding. And Wei WuXian thought Lan WangJi was more like his mother, unwavering and all heart. 

Lan WangJi came back to the dining room, looking suspiciously at the two. It was too late for him, however, as Wei WuXian had already started his mindless chatter that Lan Shu seemed to like. 

Just like mother, like son. 

“Ah, mother! I want to see pictures of little Lan Zhan, can I take a look?” Wei WuXian looked at her earnestly. Before Lan Shu could answer, Lan WangJi cut her off. 

“We’re going to bed.” In one swift motion, Lan WangJi had managed to hoist Wei WuXian on his shoulder. He gave his mother a small nod before retreating upstairs to their room.

Lan Shu offered a little wave at Wei WuXian, who helplessly waved back. 

At the end of the trip, Wei WuXian was able to secure some little Lan WangJi pictures for his personal use, and considered the visit a huge success.

* * *

Wei WuXian never stops moving.

He had always been agile and quick on his feet. He was gentle, but not soft spoken. His energy had a sort of force that compelled you to look at him, to see him, to listen to him. Lips forming a cheshire grin, arms constantly reaching out, and Lan WangJi would be Wei WuXian’s perpetually captivated audience, silently appraising, until he gets caught. 

But this time, it was different. 

Wei WuXian was standing tall, his back facing Lan WangJi. He looked magnificent in his _hanfu_ , his obsidian robe completed with sweeps of crimson fire and flowing azure clouds. He had enveloped himself in an unusual silence, in stark contrast to the uninhibited persona he always wore. 

Lan WangJi found neither of them more interesting than the other, equally entranced by the enigmatic nature of Wei WuXian, enough so that Lan WangJi found himself unconsciously moving towards him, as if he could soak up the mystery of every facet of him by just existing in Wei WuXian’s space. 

Wei WuXian must have heard the movement behind him, and turned, only to get his breath taken away at the sight. 

“You look so beautiful,” He whispered with a smile so gentle, it moved through Lan WangJi in molten waves.

 _That’s supposed to be my line_. Lan WangJi conveyed his thoughts with his eyes, hungrily taking Wei WuXian in, who was giggling, fingers touching, taking everything Lan WangJi has to give and _more_. 

“Come on, husband-to-be, they must be waiting.” Wei WuXian tugged his hand, smoothly intertwining their fingers together, and the two of them walked to the ceremonial hall for their wedding that was already a long time coming.

* * *

The couple went on a vacation in China for Lan WangJi’s twenty seventh birthday, and for their first wedding anniversary. 

They have spent a week inside the Cloud Recesses. Wei WuXian never lost in touch with the people in Gusu Lan Sect, and he was known to them to be the wandering immortal. Wei WuXian never failed to visit them a few times a year, thus the constant trips he had been doing. The couple weren't bothered by the younger disciples, save for the curious glances and confused stares as to why tourists were allowed to stay in their premises. 

“We do look like tourists in our western clothing,” Wei WuXian said, as he tugged on his trench coat that covered his cashmere sweater and jeans. “Wait. Isn’t there a rule about proper clothing? Why weren’t we stopped?” He gasped, and elbowed Lan WangJi. “I think they’ve gone lenient since you’ve been gone.” 

“Your fault.” Lan WangJi said in his usual monotone. 

“How come it’s my fault?! I am a good example to the disciples here.” Wei WuXian exclaimed, causing a disciple to shush him, a hand gesturing at the wall. Lan WangJi took a stride forward, smugness coating his steps, and ignored his husband’s confused noises behind him.

Wei WuXian suggested to do a nighthunt for old-time’s sake. He had given Lan WangJi back Bichen and his guqin, which were properly maintained and cared for. The two weren’t surprised that the weapons were devoid of wear and tear for a dozen of centuries, since the materials used to make them were blessed by the deities themselves. 

“We’ll probably end up empty-handed, but I guess that’s a better outcome. It means we’ve done a good job the past thousand years, don't you think?” Wei WuXian commented as he tied his hair back the way he usually did in the past. 

Lan WangJi nodded, while fixing the lapels of Wei WuXian’s outer garment. 

“Besides I’m just using this as an excuse to see you in your old clothes again,” Wei WuXIan grinned, as he took in Lan WangJi’s Gusu Lan Sect’s uniform, complete with the forehead ribbon. He yanked Lan WangJi for a kiss, before sprinting away, leaving his husband. 

“The person with the most catch gets a special service from the loser tonight!” Wei WuXian screamed at the top of his lungs, his voice filled with laughter. 

°°°

Caiyi Town didn’t change very much. The huts were more sturdy, Lan WangJi guessed, but the village has kept its hustle and bustle, and Biling Lake was still the main transportation route residents and workers used.

“There’s a weird-looking stuffed toy! I’ll get it for Jiang Cheng hahaha,” And just like the wind, Wei WuXian was already out of Lan WangJi's reach. 

Lan WangJi sighed, but a smile ghosted to his lips as Wei WuXian darted back to his side again– he refused to chase his husband so enthusiastically back and forth across the streets himself. Wei WuXian didn’t seem to mind slipping back to him whenever he had something to show Lan WangJi, or something to say, though.

Lan WangJi tugged Wei WuXian with one hand on one of his darting trips past. Wei WuXian made a soft, confused sound, but Lan WangJi directed him easily off towards a small restaurant for lunch and he bounced along eagerly.

"For someone so calculating, you really do love liberal arts." Wei WuXian said over their lunch, and recounted some of Lan WangJi's past jobs. 

A musician (“You’re good at guqin, so that should count, right?”), an artist, and now- a museum curator. But there was one reincarnation Lan WangJi never got a chance to be anything. 

"You were killed before I got to you." This was already a known fact for the both of them. Lan WangJi remembered little from that time. It was a miscalculated death; a sacrifice the heavens could not even account for. 

"You saved children in exchange for your life." Wei WuXian gave him a melancholic smile, yet his eyes glistened with pride. He saw a newspaper clipping of that day, fifty years ago. Lan WangJi would be reincarnated again, after three centuries at least, but the last iteration was a miracle. 

"My husband is such a wonderful man," There’s nothing bitter in Wei WuXian's tone, just pure love and admiration for the man in front of him. "I really wonder how I got so lucky." 

°°°

They were back to strolling around the marketplace when Wei WuXian spoke up.

"We've been married three times already," Wei WuXian let go of his husband’s hand, turning to look at Lan WangJi as he walked backwards. 

"Aren't you tired of me?" Wei WuXian chuckled, the seriousness of his question drowned by the light hop of his feet. 

Lan WangJi pulled his husband towards him in an embrace. "Never." He felt the anxiety on Wei WuXian’s body, on his rigid frame, how it was eating him up slowly, suddenly, without any trigger. Lan WangJi hugged him closer, until Wei WuXian could feel his heartbeat. 

“Don’t underestimate me.” 

With Lan WangJi’s words, Wei WuXian melted against his hold, and his normal, brilliant smile unwound over his features. Wei WuXian unfurled from his comfort and stood tall once again, shoulders thrusted back confidently, eyes shining with relief. Just like that, his smile no longer looked a fragile question on his face, but sat high and steady, showing teeth. 

"Have you finished being an idiot?” Lan WangJi asked, his steady gaze never leaving his husband. 

Wei WuXian laughed outright, and then he’s reaching towards Lan WangJi, his fingers sliding along his palm and intertwining it with his own. 

"You are such a romantic, Lan er-gege."

°°°

They received a phone call from Lan XiChen after they arrived at their room in the inn. 

“Are you on speaker?” Lan XiChen asked, voice muddled by the phone’s reception. Lan WangJi turned the speaker on and gestured Wei WuXian to come closer. 

“Yo, Lan Huan. What’s up? How’s Jiang Cheng?” The couple had asked for Lan XiChen to take care of the child during their vacation. They couldn't really bring him because he has school, nor were they really eager to bring him because it’s been a while since they have been alone, just the two of them.

“He told me something interesting today.” There was something off in Lan XiChen’s voice, Lan WangJi thought. And by looking at Wei WuXian, he must have sensed it, too.

“What? What did he say?” Wei WuXian asked, intrigued and confused at the same time.

There was a pause in the other end of the line, before Lan XiChen answered. “Jiang Cheng was afraid you’re getting a divorce.”

“Huh? Does he even know what that means?” Jiang Cheng couldn’t possibly knew what that word meant. His marriage with Lan WangJi would definitely pass as a definite antonym of divorce.

Lan XiChen ignored him and continued. “He said he heard Wei WuXian crying loudly one night, and begging Lan WangJi to stop. Jiang Cheng said my brother was hurting you.”

The color drained on Wei WuXian’s face. Lan WangJi looked expressionless as usual, but there was a bead of sweat rolling down his neck. 

“Oh no, you must be kidding…” Wei WuXian didn’t have any excuse, he remembered that night as clear as day. Things got heated, and he and Lan WangJi decided to try out some… play. 

“Do I sound like I’m kidding, Wei Ying?”

 _Your brother's scary_. Wei WuXian mouthed at Lan WangJi. “I guess you're not hahaha. Where is he anyway?”

“He’s already asleep.” Another pause. “Don’t do it while Jiang Cheng’s around. Please.”

“Did you hear your older brother, Lan Zhan?” Wei WuXian turned to his husband, who looked composed as usual. 

“I’ll soundproof our room.” Lan WangJi simply said.

“At this rate we're gonna have to teach him the birds and the bees hahaha”

“He’s just eight!” Lan XiChen retorted, and Wei WuXian was both scared and awed at the same time, as he was surprised to hear Lan XiChen raised his voice. 

“Better now than later…?” When there was no answer, Wei WuXian immediately retracted his words. “I’m kidding! I’m kidding!”

There was a resigned sigh. “Just be more careful, you two.“

At the end of the call, Wei WuXian was laughing hysterically on the ottoman, his hand clutching his stomach for dear life. 

“Pfft- hahaha! Jiang Cheng is so cute!” It wasn't supposed to be that surprising when they were caught red-handed, Lan WangJi did have questionable amounts of libido, and Wei WuXian was very vocal during sex. 

“So I guess we really have to maximize our stay here, Lan Zhan.” Wei WuXian crooned, breaking his husband’s name into two distinct syllables, all of which trip over his teeming laughter. He dragged a finger against Lan WangJi’s clothes, before parting his husband’s robes, palms splayed on his chest.

With that, Lan WangJi scooped Wei WuXian up in his arms and moved him down to the bed, traces of soft giggle escaping Wei WuXian’s lips between each serious kiss Lan WangJi tried to initiate.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The scene with meeting the parents is inspired by this wonderful [fic](https://m.fanfiction.net/s/6840797/1/) called The Professor’s Wife by foolish_mortal. This xxxholic fic was my biggest inspiration for this story. 
> 
> Due to the guidance of a reader who called me out on this (bless him/her), I rewrote some scenes because I relied heavily on the fic and copied some dialogues (the convo between lwj's mom and wwx in particular) which I really regret on doing. I want to own up to my mistakes, so I want every reader to know what happened. I'm really sorry for that. It won't happen again. I hope you can still see this story as my work. :) 
> 
> Their wedding outfit is inspired by their clothes in this [video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2o79_vve6GY) it’s so beautiful ;^;
> 
> As always, comments and kudos are my lifesource <3


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warning! Implied attempted suicide ahead ;~;
> 
> Ahhh this is the final chapter! Thank you everyone who stayed and read this fanfic. Without you, I wouldn't be able to finish this. I'm really grateful. This chapter was longer than expected, but I still felt it somewhat lacking. But I still hope it is still to your liking!
> 
> Enjoy!
> 
> PS. Kudos and comments are really appreciated <3

Lan WangJi and Wei WuXian would often found themselves huddled at a secluded area in their town's library. The staff never paid them any mind; their occupations were highly regarded in the research field, and donating most of the ancient books and priceless artifacts might have earned them additional importance. Wei WuXian could even bring snacks and drinks over.

"This is like our very own fort," Wei WuXian said as he spread old scrolls around them. 

The library is where they would research about immortality. They have a room in their home dedicated for this subject, but Wei WuXian didn't want it to overburden their life as a couple living in the present.

"We'll find it when the time comes," Wei WuXian would always say, but they both know that their clock has started ticking a long time ago.

Lan WangJi's physical features never changed. Every time he was reincarnated, he was still the same. He would still be born Chinese and named Lan Zhan. His parents didn't remember anything, but he suspected they were the parents of the original Lan WangJi. His brother and uncle were the same. For Lan WangJi, he was just an updated version of his past selves. 

"I doubt they will ever remember." Wei WuXian smiled at him fondly. "You always do, though."

Lan WangJi started practicing cultivation again, just like his first and second lives. Both times weren’t successful, and the two knew that it wasn’t because Lan WangJi was lacking in talent or maturity, nor was it because his golden core was not strong enough. The reason was the punishment given to Wei WuXian. 

Wei WuXian was condemned to see Lan WangJi die every time. 

Lan WangJi knew that they have been given special attention by the heavens, but if it was considered a blessing or a curse— it was still up to interpretation. Lan WangJi recognized half of the people he associated with in the present had existed in his past lives. Wei WuXian had found Jiang Cheng, and no matter how much luck Wei WuXian has, they knew that it wasn’t a mere coincidence. It was as if they were all herded together in a place where it was inevitable for all of them to meet. 

Wei WuXian thought that the ‘higher-ups’ made it that way so he could find Lan WangJi easily.

Lan WangJi didn’t know what to do with all those information, however. The more things they found out, the more they seemed to be further from getting any answers. 

"If the gods really favor me they should have made you immortal, too." Wei WuXian muttered under his breath, a tad of frustration in his voice, his apparent lack of answers starting to gnaw at him. "I will recognize you in a heartbeat. You always smell of sandalwood."

Lan WangJi stayed silent and continued to browse through the pages, until Wei WuXian spoke once more.

“Lan Zhan, do you believe that each person only has four lives?”

Lan WangJi had heard of that myth before, but didn’t think much about it. They have been taught that souls can be reincarnated as many times as they can be, unless if they were to be broken or destroyed. 

“One life that sows, one that waters, one that reaps, and one that consumes. The rewards and punishments for the previous lives will all take place in the next lives.” Wei WuXian continued as if he was reciting something out of a book, his smile not quite reaching his eyes. “If a person did something incredibly good in his last life, then that person will be blessed in his next life. But if he had done something evil, then he’d be punished.”

“Wei Ying—”

“Lan Zhan has been nothing but a perfectly good boy during your previous lives, so maybe that’s why they have granted you this fourth life. A perfect final life.” 

“That’s not it.” Lan WangJi refused to listen anymore, but Wei WuXian wouldn’t stop. 

“Do you still even want to be an immortal, Lan Zhan? I didn't think I’ve ever asked you about that. Am I being too selfish to ask you to stay?” 

“No—” Lan WangJi pushed the books and scrolls aside to reach his husband.

“Or they can just kill me, too. So we can be together in the afterlife. But I’m not sure if we can find each other—”

“Wei Ying!” Lan WangJi wrapped around a hand on his wrist. He felt Wei WuXian shiver, and watched the way his eyes blink slowly, caught and moved. 

“I tried to end it, once.” Wei WuXian said casually, the words enough to convey how broken he was. It must have hurt so much, to be able to admit it with nothing else but apathy. 

“But I… I couldn’t do it.” He laughed deprecatingly, as if blaming himself for not completing the task. “What if I die and I will never see you again?” And Lan WangJi couldn't help but imagine Wei WuXian alone, tired and defeated. Yet he wouldn't give up on living because of Lan WangJi, because of the prospect of seeing him again. 

Lan WangJi reached out to Wei WuXian with a gentleness that stung, that was heated, that flashed him back through memories of burning on his chest and whips and the sharp sting of pain that came before the promise of warmth, the promise that Wei WuXian was alive and had finally come back. 

And now, it was Lan WangJi’s turn to assure Wei WuXian that he would stay for as long as he could. Until the earth stopped spinning, and even then. Until way past forever, if he could. 

“Then I’ll find you myself. Wait for me.”

Wei WuXian buried his face on Lan WangJi’s shirt, exhaling deeply, as if memorizing his scent, and listened to the rhythmic thudding of his heart. “It’s not that easy.” 

“It is. Loving you is easy.” Lan WangJi repeated Wei WuXian’s words back at him.

Wei WuXian relaxed into Lan WangJi gradually, as if different parts of him were systematically defrosting, until most of his weight was on Lan WangJi’s.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t have to tell you that,” Wei WuXian muttered, his fingers clinging on Lan WangJi’s shirt. 

“Don’t say that.”

Wei WuXian’s grip tightened as he let out a breathless laugh. “There’s no need for ‘sorry’ and ‘thank you’ between the two of us. Yes, I remember.”

Lan WangJi shook his head. “No more secrets.” 

Lan WangJi leaned down until their foreheads were pressed together, and shared the breath between them. He kept his eyes open long enough to trace the ever-familiar slide of Wei WuXian’s soft smile, and the slight quiver in his lips where emotion overwhelmed.

“No more secrets.” Wei WuXian repeated.

* * *

“Wei Ying, are you a vampire?” Jiang Cheng asked out of the blue. It was just the two of them for the week, with Lan WangJi away on a business trip. The two got ice cream on their way home, and sat by a bench in the park to finish their cold treats. 

Wei WuXian didn’t think he’d get a question like that from an eleven year old Jiang Cheng, and stared at him with apprehension.

“...Jiang Cheng, what have you been taking?”

Jiang Cheng pursed his lips and glared, offended by the accusation Wei WuXian threw at him. “Nothing! I mean, you don’t seem to age.” 

“Asians tend to age slower. And why vampires? Do I look like I’m on a blood diet?”

Jiang Cheng took a scoop of his ice cream before answering. “I can't think of other creatures that don't get old. Lan Zhan looked older than you now.”

“Is it that obvious?” Wei WuXian didn't notice. Lan WangJi had reached his growth spurt way before they adopted Jiang Cheng, and Wei WuXian was naturally baby-faced, with Mo XuanYu still as his vessel. 

Jiang Cheng shook his head. “I don’t think so, but I can see it. You’re different.” 

Were kids really more perceptive than adults? But then again, Wei WuXian and Lan WangJi never treated Jiang Cheng like a normal child. Wei WuXian tried not to associate the child Jiang Cheng with the person he had lost in the past, but the resemblance, both in looks and personality, was getting harder to ignore. So instead, Wei WuXian treated Jiang Cheng as his brother, while trying to make up for his regrets and lost times in the past. And now that Jiang Cheng was suspicious of who Wei WuXian really was, what's the harm of telling him more? 

“Try the term immortal, I don’t age.”

“Wow.” Jiang Cheng’s voice was filled with awe and unfiltered interest. “So you don’t die?”

“I think I could still die, but it’s hard to kill me.”

“Like a superhero…” Jiang Cheng muttered to himself, before asking again. 

“How old are you?”

“I don't know. About a thousand years?” Wei WuXian tilted his ice cream tub against his lips, drinking its contents as it was beginning to melt. 

“You don't seem that wise.” Wei WuXian raised an eyebrow at the statement, a trait Lan WangJi must have rubbed on him. 

Jiang Cheng was on the phase of endless curiosity. He was more well-behaved than his previous life, probably due to the influence of Lan XiChen on him. He was also more sympathetic. Wei WuXian would take that any day, than get a rebellious pre-teen in his care. 

“What about Lan Zhan and Lan XiChen? Are they immortal?”

Wei WuXian shook his head. “Nope.”

“Oh.” He stopped eating, and looked at the glop of ice cream left in his tub as if in deep thought. 

“If we die, are you going to be alone?”

Wei WuXian chuckled at his question. “I hope not, but probably. I guess.”

To Wei WuXian’s surprise, Jiang Cheng didn’t say anything, seeming to mull his words over. Just then, Wei WuXian felt something warm wrapped around his fingers, and looked down to see Jiang Cheng holding his hand.

“That’s stupid.” He said resolutely. “I don't want you to be alone. Even if you're a bad parent.”

“Hahaha sorry about that.” Wei WuXian never tried to be a father to Jiang Cheng as he couldn't bring himself to steal that title from Jiang Fengmian. He had already taken Jiang Cheng’s family away from him the first time, he didn't want to do it again, even if it’s just in name. 

“But you’re an okay best friend.”

Wei WuXian’s heart warmed at that. Regardless, he couldn't help but tease Jiang Cheng. “I’m your best friend? I thought you had me replaced already for Lan XiChen,” He pinched Jiang Cheng’s cheek just because. 

“No way!” Jiang Cheng slapped away his hand, and rubbed his cheek. “Lan XiChen is different.”

“Ahh Jiang Cheng is so cuuute!” Wei WuXian hugged him, before smothering him with wet and sloppy kisses all over his face. “Wei Ying will be really sad if Jiang Cheng leaves him.”

Jiang Cheng squirmed and screamed, trying to pull away from Wei WuXian, but there was a hint of laughter in his voice. “Stop! You got your ice cream all over me! It’s all sticky and gross now!”

They had no choice but to clean up in the nearby bathroom when both of their clothes and hair were streaked with strawberry ice cream. Throwing the empty ice cream tubs in the trash, they started walking home. 

After a long stretch of silence except for the scraping of their shoes on the pavement, Jiang Cheng talked again. 

“You know me. In the past. That’s why I realized.”

Wei WuXian stopped in his tracks. “...Am I really that obvious?”

“Was I not good to you?” Jiang Cheng asked, his brows knitted in worry. “You look sad sometimes, when you think I’m not looking.” He explained. 

A lump formed in Wei WuXian’s throat. Unable to voice his emotions, something broke inside him. This child is Jiang Cheng, and despite everything that happened between them in the past, Jiang Cheng was his best friend, his brother first, and his master second. They were never meant to be enemies, to be on opposing sides of war, but circumstances had led their relationship into ruins. And now, he was given another chance to start over again. 

Despite his complaints, he couldn't hate the gods for giving him this life, for giving him Jiang Cheng again, however temporary this was. 

“I just miss my best friend sometimes.” Wei WuXian gave him the best smile that he could muster, hoping to dispel the needless worry on Jiang Cheng’s face. 

“But I’m here now, and it will get better. I just know it.” Jiang Cheng said, his optimism just like a child’s, hopeful and sure. 

“Yeah.” But somehow, Wei WuXian felt like he could believe him, too. “Yeah,” He repeated. “You're here now, so it’s okay.” He hugged Jiang Cheng again, and this time the child let him be, and patted his back as comfort. 

It only took a few seconds before Jiang Cheng started asking questions again. 

“So… you have powers, right?”

“Yup.” Wei WuXian pulled away, a grin playing at the edge of his lips. “Wanna see?”

Jiang Cheng nodded enthusiastically. 

“Just stay still.” Wei WuXian puckered his lips in concentration, his brows creasing as he waved his hand beside Jiang Cheng’s face. 

“Tada!” Wei WuXian produced a silver coin out of Jiang Cheng’s ear. It was just a simple magic trick. Jiang Cheng, obviously, was not impressed. 

“...” 

Wei WuXian pouted at his lackluster reaction. “What’s with the judging look? Can you even do that?” 

“Can’t you make a gold bar or something?” Jiang Cheng asked with a scowl. 

“I think you’re mistaking me for another god.”

Jiang Cheng sighed, and started to walk away. “You’re immortal, but we're still poor.”

“We’re not poor!” And really, they weren't. The three of them were living comfortably in a cozy apartment, and Wei WuXian and Lan WangJi had both stable incomes. Wei WuXian just forgot his wallet _that one time_ when they were eating at a restaurant, and a ten year old Jiang Cheng had to foot the bill (Lan WangJi wasn't around to save him). 

“Lan XiChen gives me more allowance than both you and Lan Zhan combined.”

One downside of the influence of Lan XiChen was Jiang Cheng being spoiled rotten. He’d definitely grow up dependent and needy at this rate. 

Letting out an exaggerated sigh, Wei WuXian shook his head in disappointment. “All you do is complain. Maybe we shouldn't give you allowance altogether.”

Jiang Cheng let out an indignant voice, and tried to shove Wei WuXian out of the pavement, in which he failed miserably.

“You’re a thousand years behind to do that to me, buddy.” Wei WuXian laughed as he wrapped an arm around a fuming Jiang Cheng’s shoulders. 

“Come on, let’s go home.”

* * *

Lan WangJi needed glasses at the age of thirty. 

Wei WuXian was blow-drying Lan WangJi’s hair when he noticed that his husband had been staring at his phone screen for a few minutes. 

Wei WuXian leaned over his shoulder to look at the phone. "What are you looking at?"

"Lan XiChen messaged me something," Lan WangJi said, all the while glaring at the screen which seemed to be non-cooperative tonight. Why do the characters looked blurry? "I think he wants—"

"He wants to bring Jiang Cheng at the amusement park this weekend." Wei WuXian helpfully supplied. He could clearly see what the message said from where he was looking. 

"I see," Lan WangJi continued to stare at the screen, trying to make out the words. 

"You won't be able to reply if you just keep on asking it for a fight, you know.”

“...” With a deep sigh, Lan WangJi conceded and finally confessed, “...Hard to see.” 

“You’re going blind!” Wei WuXian exclaimed. Bringing the blow dryer down, he craned his neck to look at Lan WangJi’s eyes properly. 

“There's now something imperfect about you.” He laughed, his hands cupping his husband’s jaw, before giving it a peck. Lan WangJi tensed under his touch. 

Lan WangJi was getting older. He had finally caught up with Wei WuXian’s biological age, and sooner than later he would surpass him. 

“It’s fine. You're just gonna be needing a pair of reading glasses,” Wei WuXian said, voice suddenly sounding lower, softer, almost gentle, as if Lan WangJi was the one who needed comforting, when it should be the other way around. He pried the laptop off Lan WangJi’s grip, in favor of getting to his space. 

"And I don't think it's a downgrade, after all. I'd love to see you in glasses,” Wei WuXian said, his fingers sliding against the collar of Lan WangJi’s shirt. “I think it’d be really hot. Or if you really don't want one, we can just get you contacts, but I still vote for glasses." Wei WuXian planted a kiss against Lan WangJi’s jaw, before peering at his husband. 

“You know it shouldn't be that surprising. You’re always on your laptop, even typing with the lights out. Of course it’ll hurt your eyes. I already told you—” 

Lan WangJi silenced him with a kiss. He considered it as one of his powerful moves against his husband. 

Wei WuXian gave him a glare. "If you think—" A kiss on the forehead. "you can make me shut—" A kiss on the cheek. "up by kissing me," A nuzzle on the neck, making Wei WuXian moan.

"You definitely can." Wei WuXian climbed on top of his husband with ease, a smirk on his lips. 

°°°

After their trip to the ophthalmologist (Wei WuXian was right, Lan WangJi only needed a pair of reading glasses), Wei WuXian dragged his husband for a drive. The couple finally got their licenses, but Lan WangJi was the family driver by default. This time, however, he was on the passenger seat as Wei WuXian wanted the place they were heading to be a surprise. 

The scenery was unfamiliar with Lan WangJi as they drove along a dirt road leading to the mountain nearby their city. When they arrived, it was already way past dusk. Wei WuXian stopped in a clearing, seemingly at ease at the small space the car was allowed to park. 

As Lan WangJi got out of the car, he noticed that they were standing on one of the highest points of the mountain, a cliff a few meters away from where they were standing. Below was the huge forest they had passed by on the way. 

Wei WuXian had asked to bring WangJi with him. Lan WangJi had only a few chances of playing his guqin recently, but he doubted that he had lost his touch with the instrument that was his constant companion during the darkest years of his past life. 

Wei WuXian sat at the edge of the cliff, his feet dangling precariously in the air. He patted the space beside him for his husband, grinning at him expectantly. Lan WangJi looked at him wearily, before yielding. 

“Play WangXian with me here, Lan Zhan.” Wei WuXian had already his flute on his hand, and waited for Lan WangJi to unwrap his guqin.

Once Lan WangJi settled the stringed instrument on his lap, Wei WuXian brought Chenqing against his lips and started to play. Lan WangJi was brought back to the first time he saw Wei WuXian after he was thrown in the Burial Mounds, changed and fiendish, his demonic powers uncontained with fierce corpses under his bidding. 

But now as he graciously played the flute, the light of the moon bathing him, there was nothing short of radiance and allure exuding Wei WuXian in this instance. 

Lan WangJi followed suit, the strumming of his guqin coming naturally to him. In just a short time, the familiar melody of their song flowed delicately in the air, enveloping the whole area. 

Just then, small orbs with flickering golden glow started to rise up from the forest below them, slowly ascending towards the night sky. It alarmed Lan WangJi at first, but he sensed little to no malice in the energy they were emitting— it was as if they were cleansed. The two of them continued to play, until most of the orbs disappeared without a trace. 

Lan WangJi was the first one to break the silence. “Those souls…”

Wei WuXian nodded, “Many people die in the forest below. Suicides, murders, accidents. They should probably just build a fence around here or make this off-limits, but maybe they don't because it's too good a view to remove.” And Wei WuXian was right, the scenery could pass as a suitable sight where people might be inclined to see in the last moments of their lives. 

“I try to find more places like this, and sometimes I play songs for them. There’s no more need for resentful energy, so I set them free. I could exorcise them before they transform. One of the perks of being immortal, I guess,” Wei WuXian shrugged nonchalantly, patting his flute against his lap. 

It was always clear to Lan WangJi that no matter how jaded Wei WuXian’s views were, he still cared for people.

Wei WuXian never lost his compassion. This person who was intimately familiar with being left behind never dared to turn his back to those in need. No matter how the world failed him time and time again, Wei WuXian never hesitated to give while expecting nothing in return. His heart was his greatest downfall, and yet he never once tried to abandon it. 

His strength and his kindness unending; the way the moonlight transformed him into something ethereal and magnificent. This beautiful person beside him, why did he need to suffer so?

“I really love our song. Wanna continue?” Wei WuXian grinned widely, that special smile he always saved for Lan WangJi, open and unguarded. 

With trembling fingers, Lan WangJi started to play again, soothing the lost souls, and relieving Wei WuXian’s steadfast heart.

* * *

During the long years of his existence, Wei WuXian learned how to think. 

He had always been brimming with faux confidence, but years and experience had dampen it significantly. He didn't want to make wrong choices anymore, nor did he want to make more regrets. He never doubted Lan WangJi’s love for him, but deserving it was another issue entirely. He laughed bitterly, was he finally being mature?

Wei WuXian had dragged Lan WangJi again in one of his impulses, and now they were camping out in a forest, wrapped in a bundle of blankets under the moonlight.

"Sometimes I doubt," Wei WuXian confessed, his eyes fixated at an invisible point in the sky. 

"How could I still have you, Lan Zhan?" He said, as if commenting on the weather, the only thing giving him away was the slight trembling of his shoulders.

Lan WangJi was beside him in an instant, his arms automatically wrapping around Wei WuXian, holding him. 

“You're so cool and nice and faithful and so unfair. It pisses me off that I'm falling for you all over again.” Wei WuXian laughed with a sigh. 

“You can pick anyone you want, and yet you still chose me.”

A system of galaxies and universes and somehow, somehow, Lan WangJi had fallen in love with him. 

“Out of all the people in the universe, you chose me. Why?”

It was Lan WangJi who found him; Lan WangJi who chased him; Lan WangJi who held him; Lan WangJi who loved him.

It was Lan WangJi, who Wei WuXian loved in return.

“Maybe you think of me as an obligation.” And he knew his words stung the both of them, feeling Lan WangJi tightening his fingers on his biceps. He wanted to take it back, but he couldn't. And yet he continued, “This might be your last life, are you sure you want to spend it with me?”

That was why he couldn't tell about their past immediately. Wei WuXian wanted Lan WangJi to have a choice. But in reality, it was just a measly excuse. He let Lan WangJi chose in an uneven field, unfair and prejudiced. Wei WuXian still forced his way into Lan WangJi’s life, making his existence known, begging for his attention at any moment. It was selfish, he knew, yet he couldn’t stop himself. Wei WuXian couldn’t think of a life without Lan WangJi. 

Lan WangJi pulled him closer, tugging him into the unwavering protection of his embrace, and Wei WuXian complied without hesitation. 

“Receipt.” Lan WangJi said out of the blue. 

“What?” Wei WuXian turned to look at his husband, confused. 

“I have the receipt of your engagement ring. I bought it two years before I proposed to you.” Two years before Lan WangJi supposedly remembered. 

And isn't just supposed to be that simple? There was never a need to complicate things. Lan WangJi loves him unconditionally. It was always as clear as day, no ifs or buts. 

Wei WuXian laughed. “Is that supposed to solve anything?”

“Mn.” Lan WangJi nodded, his hair brushing against Wei WuXian’s cheek. 

“You really are a hopeless romantic, Lan Zhan.” Maybe it could be simple like this, for them. Maybe life was complicated, but maybe sometimes it could be simple between two people who share it equally.

"You've loved me for at least a millennia. You're the one to talk.” Lan WangJi snaked his arms around his waist, his hands rubbing comforting circles on Wei WuXian’s hips. 

“Haha touché.” He snuggled against Lan WangJi’s hold, internally scolding himself for getting too insecure. 

“I’m being needy again. It’s because you keep on spoiling me.”

Wei WuXian knew that he was being punished. And he couldn't fault the deities who made it so, not when he knew how he had hurt Lan WangJi in the past. Lan WangJi had stayed when the world scorned and loathed him, but Wei WuXian ran away from him, the misunderstandings piling and piling until they burst. Now, he treated every moment preciously, and to just take whatever was given to him. 

But it still scared him, this irrational feeling of wanting to have _more_ , more than the gods could grant him, more than the moments he could spend with Lan WangJi now, and that aspect reminded him that he still retained the most annoying part of his humanity. 

He balled his hands into fists, and dug his nails into his palms, hard. The pain did nothing to distract him from the memories of Lan WangJi, seeing the light from his eyes fade twice. He didn't know if he could afford to see it again. 

Wei WuXian felt traitorous tears slide down his cheeks.

And just like that, Lan WangJi understood. 

"I don’t intend to stop spoiling you. So wait for me." Lan WangJi kissed him, his fingers wiping the tears, and Wei WuXian trembled at how gentle it was. 

Wei WuXian knew that Lan WangJi would come back no matter what. But deities were fickle, and he was no match for them. 

“I won't let them take you away from me.” Wei WuXian said, turning, bunching his fists against Lan WangJi’s clothes, begging him to stay. 

"I could wait thousands of years just to be able to spend a minute with you." Wei WuXian let out one little shuddering sob before leaning his head into Lan WangJi’s chest, frustrated at himself for spiraling, for being helpless and an emotional mess.

“Wei Ying,” Lan WangJi murmured, lifting Wei WuXian's face, capturing his lips once again, taking his frustrations that was bubbling inside him.

They made love that night, Lan WangJi giving in to every ministration Wei WuXian asked. More than his fears and doubts, Wei WuXian knew that his husband was beating himself over for not being able to change anything until now. He knew that at their current state, they could never truly chase away each other's pain. 

But for Wei WuXian, his actions were enough. He could hear the sweet words repeatedly being said to him in the way Lan WangJi kissed him, took him, his touches so heartbreakingly gentle.

_I love you. I would do the same._

°°°

"I think I'm the only one who can wear you down," Wei WuXian mumbled on his chest, and Lan WangJi laughed. He laughed, his entire body shaking with him, and WuXian looked up and thought that his husband might have finally lost it.

Lan WangJi laughed because Wei WuXian was entirely mistaken. For someone who has the wisdom of a thousand years, he could still be dense sometimes.

Wei WuXian never had to wore him down. Lan WangJi was always his to begin with.

"Lan Zhan, are you all right?" 

Lan WangJi looked down at the worried face of his husband. His eyes were puffy due to crying, lips swollen, and cheeks flushed.

He'd never found someone so childish and _perfect_. 

"You already have."

Wei WuXian gave him a confused look. "What?"

Lan WangJi took Wei WuXian’s hand and interlaced their fingers once again, holding it to his chest. And he spoke the simplest truth of them all, the one that haunted him since he was only a fifteen year old boy. 

"You already have me," He clarified. "Everyday."

For eternity. 

From that night at the roof of the Cloud Recesses, Lan WangJi has always been Wei WuXian’s. 

"I still have a head start of twenty years." Lan WangJi smiled that got Wei WuXian even more out of the loop. 

“What does that even mean?”

“It means you’re an idiot.” He kissed the furrowed brow of Wei WuXian’s, who was starting to open his mouth to complain about his husband’s insult on his intelligence.

“You hurt my feelings, Lan Zhan. But I don't know," Wei WuXian giggled, pulling Lan WangJi down to capture his lips. 

"I think I'm pretty smart for falling head over heels for you.”

* * *

**Fifty eight years ago**

On a sunny day, Lan WangJi started to remember. He had already spent two lifetimes. Two lifetimes with Wei Ying.

He had to find him. A name and a face, that was all Lan WangJi had, but that was enough. With each passing moment, his mind continued to conjure more of his memories, and it took all of his will not to throw a raging fit for not finding Wei WuXian sooner. 

Days turned into weeks, then into months. Until finally, he found a lead.

Lan WangJi had to travel far, but he knew it was worth it. 

What would Wei WuXian’s reaction be, now that Lan WangJi was the one who found him first? 

He urged himself to walk faster, ears ringing, heart racing from excitement. He hadn’t prepared anything to say to Wei WuXian, but he was never really articulate around him. A hug, that’s what he had planned to do, and a kiss, when both of them got over the surprise. 

Lan WangJi was only a few blocks away from the address that he had gotten when a shrill scream pierced through the busy street, then someone shouted, “Fire!”

A mere second later, there was a huge explosion in the building nearby, the heat immediately registering on his skin. Out of instinct, Lan WangJi went towards the commotion, and found people bursting out from the burning structure. 

Small hands gripped him from behind, and he turned to see a child covered in soot and ragged clothes. “Sir, please help! My friends, my friends are still inside!”

Most of the people were still panicking, and the outsiders were merely lurking from the sides. At this rate, the children inside would die of suffocation before the firemen arrive. He had to do something. 

With his coat as his only protection, he went in. 

He had found four children left in the building, all located in the same room. They were trapped from the inside, but Lan WangJi managed to bust the door open, finding the children hiding in the bathroom that was still untouched by the fire. He soaked his coat with water left in the bathtub, and covered the children with it as they got out of the room. 

Lan WangJi heard a cry from the hallway behind them. Making sure that the four children were able to safely make their way out of the building, he went back to search for the source of the voice. 

He found more people, and guided everyone out. On his last trip back to make sure no one was left inside, he started to run out of oxygen. Everything happened so fast, and the last thing he knew, his body slumped on the heated wooden floor, unable to catch his breath. 

When his eyes slipped shut he expected the honest black of unconsciousness. Instead there was only the burning light of gold and white, a thousand times more harrowing than how aware of his own fading consciousness he was. Then his world only continued to brighten, to brighten, to brighten.

°°°

Lan WangJi was awaken by the sound of chimes. He didn't know since when he had fallen asleep, nor how did he end up in a small room almost bare with only two chairs, a table, and a counter with sink decorating it. 

“You're earlier than usual, Lan WangJi,” A woman in deep purple velvet robe was sitting across from him, pouring tea on two cups.

He recognized the woman before him. “Grim reaper.”

The woman crinkled her nose. “I’ve never like that name. I’m just a messenger of the gods, I don't collect souls myself. And people come to see me, not the other way around.”

He was not overly familiar with the room, this was just the third time he has been here, but it was more than enough. Lan WangJi was not someone to ask the obvious questions, but he did anyway.

“Am I dead?”

“Yes.” She said simply. 

Lan WangJi took the answer in. The last thing he remembered was entering a burning orphanage…

“How are the children? Did all of them survive?”

The woman raised a delicate eyebrow. “What a kind man. Don’t worry, they all escaped generally unscathed, thanks to you.” Lan WangJi briefly closed his eyes in relief at the good news; at least his death was not in vain. 

“You were on your way to Wei WuXian. Why did you have to sacrifice yourself? You’ve wasted a life.”

“I can’t ignore them.”

“Why? Are the children more important than meeting him? Isn’t your world revolving around Wei WuXian? He was only a few minutes away from you.”

“It’s not a contest. Wei Ying would understand.” He would, since he’d do the same. 

The woman grinned. “Really, how noble of you.”

The silence hung low in the air, with Lan WangJi refusing to say anything else. 

The woman sighed, before opening her lips. “Well, you’ve repeatedly proven yourself worthy of a wish, Lan WangJi. So what would it be?”

Without missing a beat, Lan WangJI answered, “Immortality.”

“That isn’t an easy wish. We can’t just give that to anyone who was a martyr in their past lives, we’ll definitely get a surplus of immortals here.” She drank from her cup, before continuing. 

“But we have expected that to be your answer, of course,” She smiled knowingly, her finger caressing the rim of her teacup. “You were always meant to be an immortal, but the curse they have given to Wei WuXian prevented that.” 

Lan WangJi balled his hands into a fist on his lap. “To watch me die.” 

She nodded. “What a cruel punishment, isn’t it? But the cycle got broken when you got yourself killed this time around.

“Let’s say the gods will lift the curse, but there will be a price. What do you think?”

“We’ve paid enough price.” Lan WangJi looked at her in the eye, his voice laced with finality.

The woman stared at him, stunned. “...You're definitely not wrong about that,” Then she chuckled, disbelieving that a mere mortal just said that. 

“This has been going for millennia. I think you've entertained them enough.”

“Entertained?”

“Yes. Why else would we do this? You're just the modern version of the tale of the cowherd and the weaver girl. A tragic story about two lovers who can only see each other once a year." She pointed at Lan WangJi. "In your case, once in a few centuries. Watching you two was fun for us. Are you mad?”

He didn’t dignify her with an answer. He was… exhausted. And he knew Wei WuXian was waiting for him. He wouldn’t accept anything short of an answer than what he wanted.

Knowing that she wouldn’t get a reply, she continued. “But Wei WuXian has also proven his worth. The goodness in him has outbalanced his sins. He never lost his heart.”

“He would never,” Lan WangJi said, a small nod in agreement. 

“You two are such a stubborn couple. You really suit each other.

“But are you really sure? You will see everyone die. Everyone moving on without you. You’ll have to share the burden of forever.” And Lan WangJi managed not to laugh, nothing will ever be a burden as long as Wei WuXian is with him. 

So instead, he said with an absolute voice, his eyes never unwavering, “I will stand by him, as I did by then, and as I will from now on.” 

The woman stared at him for a moment, before standing up. “All right then,” She took the cup in front of him, and tossed its contents on the sink. 

Then, she looked at the door, and saw _him_ , the Lan WangJi who has been watching the whole exchange. The Lan Zhan of the present, the fourth iteration. 

The one who finally attained immortality. 

“It’s time for you to remember.” She brought a hand on his jaw, lightly patting his cheek. 

“Go wake up and tell your wife the good news.”

* * *

One day, Wei WuXian woke up with a start. He bolted up from the bed, making his head spin at the abrupt movement. It was past four am, and only a few minutes before Lan WangJi would stir.

Wei WuXian couldn’t wait a second longer and shook his husband awake.

"Lan Zhan, it's been twenty years."

Lan WangJi looked at him confused. Wei WuXian half-struggled to climb on top of him, and immediately patted his face with a newly found purpose. 

"It's been twenty years and you haven't aged a bit!" 

Lan WangJi gave him a soft smile, as if saying, _Now you believe me?_

“I’ve been telling you everyday.” Lan WangJi replied. Since that night he had the dream, he had told Wei WuXian what happened. His husband’s reaction was accurately similar to the scene he was currently going through. 

Wei WuXian seemed to be having a hard time talking because he was grinning too much. “Yeah, I know, but they might have changed their minds.” He continued to search Lan WangJi’s face, pinching, stretching, “But it’s really true…

“You stopped aging?”

“Yes.”

“How can you prove it?”

Lan WangJi whispered something to him. 

“Sex? How can you still say that when we just did it until an hour ago?? Aren’t you tired?”

Lan WangJi tilted his head, waiting for Wei WuXian to finally get his point. 

“...Oh.”

“I still have energy—”

“Yes, I get it. Don’t ruin it, Lan Zhan.” Then Wei WuXian looked at him in wonderment. He kept his hands on Lan WangJi’s face, fingertips softly tracing the skin under his eyes, the bridge of his nose, the square of his jaw, the shape of his lips, his eyes beginning to water.

Lan WangJi covered his husband’s hands with his, keeping them against his skin. 

"You've waited for a long time. I’m here. I’m home." He said, his whole being radiating warmth and joy. And Wei WuXian gave him a smile that could rival the sun and the stars in the sky, making his feelings be amplified ten times more. 

“Welcome back, Lan er gege.”

* * *

According to the students, their young professor, Wei WuXian, has a husband. Lan WangJi was handsome and stoic, and worked in an art museum nearby their campus. Students often joke that he was the museum’s most prized artwork for being too beautiful. His expression always looked like he’s someone who just lost his wife, but that's when he’s alone. When the professor was with him, his face didn't change much, but the aura around him was more open and warm. 

They also have a child named Jiang Cheng, who was as broad-minded as Wei WuXian, yet as severe as Lan WangJi. He went in an elementary school close to the university, and was also a permanent fixture in the faculty after his classes. 

Wei WuXian was often called the “Demonic Professor”, and he never failed to live up to this name. He was more reasonable and sane when his husband was just a student, they said, so people are relieved when Lan WangJi visits, which was always. 

Sometimes they gave each other lonely looks, but those were rare. The professor would seek his husband’s face, his gaze mixed with wonder and apprehension, like he couldn't believe his husband was right in front of him. Lan WangJi would get this painful look, like he wanted to change something but couldn’t, and the professor would look sad and weary. 

But oftentimes they looked at each other like they were perfectly in love, and everything was right again.

Years later, the lonely looks seemed to patter out between the two of them, traded with more warmth and brilliance than could possibly exist between two ordinary married couple. People knew they weren’t just any ordinary married couple, however, but kept those thoughts to themselves. 

In a particular university, there was a Chinese History professor who played the flute and acted more of a crazed student than a professor, and his husband who was oftentimes silently dragged to the professor’s whims. 

Their perpetually young professor and his perpetually young husband had stayed for a long time, students noted, and they were certain that the two had lived happily ever after.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This [post](https://my-otp-list.tumblr.com/post/175534823520/extrapenguin-mihanada-seriousflightrisk) on 10 strange facts about MDZS was one of the inspirations of this fic. It's this particular fact: 
> 
> _10\. It can be seen that Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian are fated to be together. No matter what happens, in the end it will always be that person._
> 
> I really think their love can transcend time over and over again. Ahhhh I love this stupid couple so much. 
> 
> I don't think I can stress this enough, but the fic [The Professor’s Wife ](https://m.fanfiction.net/s/6840797/1/) is my main inspiration for this story (esp the glasses!lwj scene and the epilogue scene in this chapter). If you like xxxholic, but didn't think the ending was satisfying, please give this douwata fic a go! 
> 
> This was also heavily inspired by the Korean drama Goblin, especially the thing about people only having four lives. I couldn't do a bittersweet ending like that to WangXian, so please accept my humble pure-fluff with faux-angst fic instead. 
> 
> This fic was my first multi-chapter that I completed! I'm so glad I got the chance to discover this wonderful novel, and inspired me to write again. 
> 
> Again, thank you so much for reading! I plan to expand this world a little bit more, with Jiang Cheng and Lan XiChen as the protagonists. I hope you will read that, too! <3 <3 <3
> 
> PS. You can also find me on [twitter](https://twitter.com/lefanna_) in case you want to scream with me about this beautiful fandom or if you have any prompt request ;)


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